


The Chancellor and the Commander

by AnonWasAWoman



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The 100 (TV) Fusion, BAMF Clarke Griffin, BAMF Lexa (The 100), Badass Clarke, Badass Lexa, Basically both are badass, Bisexual Clarke Griffin, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Clarke is from another planet called Eris, Clarke is way too powerful, Clexa, Clexa is Endgame, Commander Lexa, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Heda, If you're looking for a damsel in distress Clarke this is not for you, Jealous Clarke, Jealous Lexa, LGBTQ Themes, Need reminders to stick to the plot and not get distracted by fluff, OP Clarke, Pike is already dead, Queer Themes, Raven Clarke and Octavia are friendship goals, Sassy Raven, Useless Lesbian Lexa (The 100), costia is alive, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:55:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 45,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26308909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonWasAWoman/pseuds/AnonWasAWoman
Summary: Clarke, kneeling on one knee for the swearing in ceremony, lifted her head. She rose and stared directly into the eyes of the Supreme. True, they were not the Supreme’s own, but one almost never dared to look into the artificial eyelets that lit whenever the Supreme wanted to convey a message. Or in this case, mark the new Chancellor. She raised her arm and presented her knuckles.The atmosphere in Polis University was charged, to say the least. The Conclave was concluded in summers and they had a new Heda. Her name was Alexandria Woods, though one knew better than to utter her name. She recently got admitted to Polis University to pursue her Bachelors. She had to study all the courses being offered and train in advanced physical combat (APC) according to a strict schedule designed by the Dean herself, Dr. Indra. This schedule was especially designed for the Heda, who was now the leader of the twelve clans. Rumours of her bravery had spread like wildfire and the students could not wait to catch a glimpse of their new Heda.What happens when Clarke, the strongest mortal in the know universe, is sent on a mission to prevent a war that's threatening the existence of all beings?
Relationships: Abby Griffin/Jake Griffin, Anya/Raven Reyes, Clarke Griffin & Lexa, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Clarke Griffin/Niylah, Costia/Lexa (The 100), Octavia Blake/Lincoln
Comments: 357
Kudos: 482





	1. Chapter 1

“Do you, Clarke Griffin, swear to protect your people?”

“I do.”

“Do you promise to place your people’s needs above your own?”

“I do.”

“Do you promise to not abuse your strength against the weak?”

“I do.”

“Do you promise you’ll do whatever it takes to promote peace and harmony among all?”

“Yes, I do.”

“In the name of our Supreme, I now pronounce you, Clarke Griffin, the winner of Troust, the protector of all mortals- _the Chancellor of Eris_.”

As soon as the convenor announced the new Chancellor, a thunderous voice roared “Rise, Clarke Griffin.”

Clarke, who was on one knee with her eyes on the floor, for the swearing in ceremony, lifted her head.

She rose and stared directly into the eyes of the Supreme. True, they were not the Supreme’s own, but one almost never dared to look into the artificial eyelets that lit whenever the Supreme wanted to convey a message.

Or in this case, mark the new Chancellor. She lifted her left arm and presented her knuckles.

A blinding bolt of light flashed through the eyelets directed at Clarke’s knuckles.

Now, she had been preparing for this ceremony since a month. From the oath she had to take, to the speech she had to deliver after she was marked - she was prepared for everything.

Well, everything _except_ the marking. She knew what the process would be like – the Supreme would command her to rise and then mark her knuckles.

A mark that would not only establish her position as the Chancellor, but also denote the Supreme’s approval. But she had no idea what to expect. This was because there hadn’t been a Troust winner in centuries.

The people of Eris had switched to a voting system instead. They thought that the Troust was too violent- even for their taste, so they decided to elect the Chancellor instead. And the Supreme only marked the Troust winners, so she had no idea what to expect from that bolt of lightning.

She had heard tales of how only the bravest of the warriors can survive when being marked, how a Chancellor died receiving the mark even after winning the Troust - the deadliest challenge one can experience.

Clarke knew, of course, these were just tales, but she couldn’t help feel her shoulders tense up. She at least thought that it was going to be painful, whatever it was. But she most certainly didn’t expect this.

As soon as the bolt of light hit her knuckles, she felt _warmth._ She felt the light coursing through her entire body, tugging her heart. She felt that she could take the universe with the way her heart was beating.

She hadn’t ever felt so many emotions at once. Her mind was radiating peace, she felt loved – she felt safe. And she couldn’t wait to spread the warmth she felt all across the universe.

She thought she heard the Supreme say _“I care about you.”_ The voice was almost parental. Her shoulders relaxed, only to become stiff again at the realisation of what she felt when the light seemed to be tracing its final course before disappearing again- _she felt powerful._


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as the light disappeared the eyelets stopped glowing. A roar of applause and cheer resonated throughout the giant hall.

She glanced at the faces she could recognise – her mother, her dad and her friends – all beaming with pride. She knew her friends had already planned a party later that evening.

The entire hall was filled with representatives from all the districts of Eris. Everybody was clapping with awe in their eyes. Clarke thought she recognised something close to fear in their eyes.

It wasn’t surprising because this was a historic moment – no one thought they would ever witness the Supreme marking someone in their lifetime. They all feared the unknown.

After all, the Supreme had left Erisites to their own devices when they decided they would elect their Chancellor, instead of hosting the Troust. Little did Clarke know, that was only a part of it.

Most of them feared _her_ after witnessing what happened in the Troust. They had never seen a warrior fight so skilfully before. Such an amount of strength was rare, even among the Erisites. To top it all, she now bore the Supreme’s mark which should almost make her invincible. 

The mark resembled a tree. It covered Clarke’s knuckles and her fingers. It was the most intricate design she had ever seen. It was splendid.

As soon as the assembly was dispersed, she heard a familiar voice from behind say “That definitely stroked your already inflated ego Griff!”. She turned around with a scoff hiding a smile to see a bunch of jovial faces. “You’re the one to say, Rayes.”

Raven Rayes and Octavia Blake had been her best friends since childhood. They met in kindergarten and had been inseparable since then. “There’s a difference. I _am_ the best Griff”, quipped Raven before embracing her blonde friend in a giant hug.

Octavia hugged her next and Clarke swore she felt a few bones crack “Congratulations Clarke!!! I know you will make a great Chancellor!”.

“For a second we thought McAngry over there would consume you whole”. People would normally gasp at the nickname used for the Supreme, but they were used to Raven. The finest of their planet’s swords were no match to Raven’s tongue.

“So, ready to bring out the Party Girl Griffin?”

“You won’t let that go Bellamy, would you? It was once!” Bellamy Blake was Octavia’s bother. He was a year older than her and undoubtably one of the most loyal friends one could ask for.

Just as they were about to head to the Blake’s, she saw her Dad approach. Something was off – she had never seen Jake so serious before. Everyone in the group seem to sense the unfamiliar grimness in Jake’s eyes and braced themselves.

Little did they know their lives would never be the same again after hearing what he said next.

“Their Conclave is over. The Commander has been chosen. It is time.”


	3. Chapter 3

The atmosphere in Polis University was charged, to say the least. The Conclave was concluded in the summers and they had a new Heda. Her name was Alexandria Woods, though one knew better than to utter her name.

She was to join the Polis University to pursue her Bachelors. She had to study all the foundation courses being offered and train in advanced physical combat (APC) according to a strict schedule designed by the Dean herself, Dr. Indra.

This schedule was especially designed for the Heda, who was now the leader of the twelve clans. Rumors of her bravery had spread like wildfire and the students could not wait to catch a glimpse of their new Heda.

Most of them had memorised her schedule – she would attend classes with them- subjects ranging from Political Science to Mathematics. The classes got over at around 2 pm. She would then attend meetings at the Polis headquarters after 3 pm.

The advanced physical training course was usually held at 6 am in the morning, but considering that there were only 4 students, now including the Heda, it will be scheduled however the Heda pleases, given her busy schedule.

After hearing the fables of her prowess in sparring, they assumed this would be her favorite course. Had it not been so difficult, many students had would have already enrolled themselves in APC just to watch their Heda fight.

They imagined what kind of a trainer would Dr. Indra assign the Heda. Indra was the best warrior the students had seen fighting in their mocks. She was fierce and brutal in their mock trials. One couldn’t imagine how she would be in a war – a war that was not far away if the Azgeda kept breaching the laws of the Coalition. 

So here they were. The students who found the Heda’s course codes similar to theirs were both happy and nervous. Happy for the fact that they would be sharing classes with the Heda herself. And nervous because, well, it’s the Heda. One wrong move can have their throats sliced. Some of them resolved to never look her in the eye - why take a chance?

Lexa had already anticipated students’ reactions as she took long strides straight towards Indra’s office. She heard murmurs around her. She caught glances of few students that conveyed that they looked up to her. They respected her, loved and feared her. That’s all she wanted. She was aware of a few eyes subtly darting up and down.

A tall brunette wearing simple clothes – a pair of jeans that clung to her long legs and a sleeveless white v-neck top. Her toned arms were full on display that didn’t go unnoticed by the ones checking her out. Were she not the commander someone would have asked her out already.

The students were walking on eggshells- they wanted to first let the commander set boundaries – were they even allowed to ask her out? Would she want to be treated as a student, or as the Heda? Although Dr. Indra did hint towards the former, they would rather not risk their lives.

She didn’t need to knock on Indra’s door. It was opened by the guards stationed outside. As soon as she entered Indra stood up from her chair and bowed her head “Heda”.

“Indra. You needn’t bow to me. I am a college student right now so please treat me as such.”

“I understand Heda. I will try, though I cannot say the same for everyone else. The students have been reminded to treat you as a fellow student too, but you need to understand that this will take time.” Lexa nodded in understanding.

She was reminded of one of her lectures after the Conclave by Titus telling her she must get used to this. No one undermines the authority of the Heda, and she should expect and rather _demand_ respect. This was an image she must maintain now that she was the leader of the twelve clans but she wasn’t comfortable doing so in this University, among her classmates who were supposed to learn same subjects as her and get assessed together.

She thought she would settle for somewhere in the middle – allowing them to treat her as their classmate but making sure they don’t overstep.

“I have your schedule. You had asked us to recruit Anya as your combat coach. Since you were her seken I see no harm in appointing her as our APC trainer.”

“APC?”

“Sorry Heda. Advanced Physical Combat. I see no reason why you should waste time in the beginner’s class, so I directly promoted you to the advanced level. I just need to know if you want me to change the 6 am slot.”

“I see. There's no need to change the morning slot. I am fine with it, considering I do not know how long will the meetings in the afternoon take.”

“It is settled then. I will formally introduce you to your first class.”

Although Lexa didn’t feel the need to be accompanied to her class and be introduced by the Dean herself, she knew Indra wouldn’t give up.

She had known Indra ever since she started training for the conclave, which is to say that she knew her since she was 8. Indra was a general of Trikru’s army back then- a gifted warrior. It was only after the Trikru defeated the Azgeda under Heda Veera did Indra decide to join the Polis University to teach the art of war.

She wanted to train all the willing students how to become warriors – should they choose to do so after graduation. She couldn’t wait for Lexa to join the University, after the spirit chose Lexa to be the next Heda. Although Anya had made her pretty adept when it came to fighting skills, she had no doubt that three years of University would help Lexa become a great leader.

The courses offered at the University would help sharpen her mind and her strengthen her heart, which were needed just as much as physical strength. Years of advice and constant guidance, she had almost become a parental figure to Lexa. So, Lexa just let the Dean lead the way through the corridors.

Her first lecture was Mathematics. While most natblidas training for the conclave abhorred the subject, Lexa was the complete opposite. She loved every aspect of it. She was well versed with Calculus, Trigonometry and Algebra.

She anticipated she would be introduced to Real Analysis, something her hands were itching for. She wanted to learn how to prove the theorems she had applied while learning Topography, or the art of maps. They stopped in front of a classroom full of students, about 30 in number, most of which seemed bored. The others seemed, well, confused.

But this was before they noticed the Dean outside, and who was behind her. Lexa was accompanied by two giant guards who were to stay with Lexa at all times. The class will have to get used to having two huge bodyguards standing at the back.

They all straightened their backs and as soon as Lexa entered everyone stood up, while the teacher stopped to welcome their new student.

They all chanted “Heda” in chorus and bowed their heads. Lexa surveyed the class.

She immediately met the gaze of a blond woman who directly stared at her with an unreadable emotion in her eyes. She was undeniably the most beautiful woman Lexa had ever seen.

Her eyes were ocean blue which seem to get bluer (if that was even possible) every passing second. She was about the same height as hers, and was wearing khaki coloured cargo pants with a baggy university hoodie. Lexa could almost say that the blonde was trying to hide her figure. Even with such a loose hoodie Lexa could sense the curves which adorned her.

But this was not the moment to be drenched in those blue eyes, she chastised herself. Lexa could feel a plethora of emotions in them.

At first she felt amusement, which shifted to curiosity and then there was something unreadable. All of this happened in a matter of moments. Maintaining her stoic commander face, Lexa raised eyebrows at her. Gustus seemed to sense that the blonde hadn’t bowed her head and he took a menacing step forward.

Clarke felt a nudge from Octavia, who was standing to her left, bowing her head to a level which would _almost_ qualify as respectable.

The Erisites weren’t used to bowing their heads in front of anyone, not even the Chancellor, who was standing to her right studying the commander.

The grounders on this planet (“It’s called Earth, O” she was reminded of Raven) even knelt before the commander- something they had almost never seen anyone do on Eris.

Especially Clarke.

The only time Clarke knelt before anyone was at the swearing in Ceremony in front of the Supreme.

To bow or kneel in front of anyone was particularly difficult for Clarke, the mark almost made it physically painful to do so, and seeing their Chancellor do so was outrageous to any Erisite.

But this was not Eris, and they had a mission. They were very well prepared for this and Octavia would definitely not allow her best friend invite trouble on her first day, especially when they had been asked to lie low.

Clarke, until she felt the nudge, was in another world. She had only heard about Alexandria Woods, and knew that the hot brunette in front of her had won the Conclave with flying colours.

With the amount of brutality that was associated with the commander, Clarke hadn’t expected someone with such a calm, stoic exterior.

Her eyes were so green she could almost relate it with how the earth’s lush soil smelt when it rained. Although she had been on the earth for only a couple of months acclimatising to the weather, she was already in love with Polis’ forests.

But the greenery that she was in love with, was nothing compared to the commander’s eyes. She saw the brunette’s eyebrows raise, as if to question her on something.

Something she failed to realise until her stupor was broken by Octavia’s nudge. It was only then she saw that the tall muscular man glaring at her, almost sentencing her to death by thousand cuts- something she had learnt about the grounder culture. _“So much for lying low.”_

She hid the smirk that was directed at the tall man, and forced her eyes on the floor in an attempt to bow her head.

The mark on her hand protesting against what can be considered an act of surrender against a foreign leader, but she bore it all. She had a mission to accomplish and she was not going to let her position as the Chancellor ruin it all. With an inaudible whimper, she forced her head down to a passable amount.

Thankfully the Dean brought her out of her misery.

“As you know Heda is going to attend classes with you. I do not think anyone needs to be reminded to stay within their limits and not cross a line, lest they want their heads intact.”

The blonde mentally rolled her eyes at that and saw that a number of eyes were still refusing to look up at the commander, or at the tall muscular man, or even at Indra. “Better not take any chances”, Octavia almost sang in a whisper, reading her mind.

“Like Dr. Indra said, you know better than to mess with me. However, I am your fellow classmate and you needn’t bow to me from now on.”

Owing to her heightened sense of hearing, Lexa thought she heard someone whisper along the lines of thanking something called Supremo, with a sigh of relief, in the direction of the blonde but she could have been mistaken, so she paid little heed.

“Treat me like your classmate but put a toe out of line and no one will know what happened with your bodies. You may call me Lexa.” 

Satisfied with the threat, she took the bench right in the middle. It was two seats in front of the blonde. Indra left the class with a nod towards the mortified math teacher, and the guards stood at the back.

Before she sat, she noticed that the blonde was nowhere _near_ scared unlike the rest of her classmates, much to her annoyance.

The math teacher cleared his throat. “So we continue proving why the double integral gives us the area of the function over the specified curve”.

“This should be interesting”, Lexa thought. She wasn’t the only one who thought so.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be introducing a bit of history, some context and more about the mission in between. I don't like to jump timelines, unless absolutely necessary. So we'll learn more about Clarke, Lexa and their people in between conversations, whenever necessary.

“What in the name of Supreme was that?” Octavia almost teased after they were done with the first lecture.

“What was what?”

“Uh uh. Don’t play dumb. You were literally gawking at someone who can demand your head anytime.”

“You know how that’d go”, mocked Clarke. Octavia rolled her eyes at her friend, “You know that’s not the point. Clarke, this is serious.”

Octavia knew Clarke was the strongest warrior on Eris, possibly unmatched in the known universe, but she was also the most humble and grounded person one would come across.

She had the biggest heart and was the epitome of peace and justice. Her humbleness seemed to become more pronounced after receiving the mark, if that was even possible.

“Hey, I know it is. I wasn’t gawking.”

“Really? Because I have only seen you watch someone with such intensity when you either want to rip them apart or paint them on your canvas. There’s nothing in between. And knowing why we’re here I am sure it’s not the former.”

“She was…just not what I expected. She seems wise, which should make our task easier whenever time comes. I was just curious.”

Octavia looked like she didn’t believe her. As soon as she was about to respond, someone enveloped them from behind, “What’s up bitches?”

“Raven! Where on Er...Earth were you? We never thought you’d miss the Math lecture!” said Octavia, turning back to fully return the embrace. She was glad they were at a safe distance from the rest of the students and was certain no one could hear them.

“Nice save. Anyway, I knew it was her highness’ first lecture so she would introduce herself. I wouldn’t have been able to hold myself back at their theatrics, so you could say that I was saving lives”, Raven said, patting herself on her shoulders, earning eye rolls from her best friends. Seemed like the grounders weren’t the only ones who had a flair for theatrics.

“How did it go anyway?”

“Well it could have gone better if Clarkey here didn’t develop a crush on yours truly”, Octavia jumped in before Clarke could respond.

Clarke rolled her eyes and ignored Octavia completely, “It was okay. I was just caught off guard. I will work on not attracting attention”, Clarke almost whispered.

Raven’s curiosity was definitely piqued. However, she would wait until they were back at their camp to extract all the juicy details. She was aware that they were walking towards their next class and they certainly couldn’t afford to be overheard.

They had one job until the time was right. They were to avoid trouble, attention and act like any average student would.

Their friends almost laughed at the trio when this part of the mission was conveyed. The trio was anything but those qualities. Bellamy had even rhetorically asked if turning off the Griffin charm was even possible.

Clarke had just shrugged off the comment.

In all seriousness Clarke knew what he was talking about. She knew that she was insanely smart, intelligent and beautiful.

Their training at Eris was not even comparable to that of Earth. The kind of stamina, strength and endurance Erisites had could only be described as ‘supernatural’ by Earthly standards.

Clarke had mastered all weapons yet she preferred using her sword. The speed with which she manoeuvred her blade left the Erisites’ mouths gaping.

They had never seen someone so quick on their feet. Years of training at Eris made her muscles visibly hard and developed, and having 8-pack abs was not something very common on Earth.

Her curvaceous and overly toned body was as much talked about as her grounded nature.

However, she knew she couldn’t afford being a subject of gossip here at Polis. She chose to wear a loose full sleeved sweatshirt so as to hide her muscles. The cargo pants were doing a great job of covering up her calves.

Raven, the brilliant engineer had designed all their clothes after a quick tour of Polis during their prep time. They were light and the designs matched the status quo.

However, even a _proyo_ blade wouldn’t be able to touch their bodies, let alone injure them. She had gone to great lengths to extract the material for their clothes. Lengths which didn’t leave many Erisites happy.

_(“What were you thinking changing the trajectory of Supreme damned meteor, making it crash on Eris?” Clarke swore she hadn’t ever seen Abby so furious.)_

Raven’s friends had no idea how she even pulled off the meteor stunt. But they never doubted the genius. She had somehow managed to extract UTF-19 from it, the strongest metal known after proyo (which she would have gone after if anyone knew where to find it), and _stitch_ their clothes with it.

She had also crafted a secret pocket in all of their clothes which could easily hide away their deactivated swords and daggers. Erisites could easily deactivate them by pressing a button on the hilt. The blade would get retracted only leaving a small cylindrical structure in their hands resembling a harmless royal metal perfume container. 

Octavia was also a warrior – she knew her weapons well and sparring sessions with Clarke only encouraged her hunger to learn and train better.

Clarke was happy with the progress her friend was making. However, Raven loved blades as much as they loved the Supreme’s eyelets. She preferred using her own pistol, designed by herself. The Erisite’s weren’t too keen on relying on pistols, much like the grounders on Earth.

Their ancestors had separated from the Ark long time back and crashed down on Eris, only to adapt to the planet and evolve accordingly. They preserved their history and culture but changed whatever made them uncomfortable, especially after coming in contact with the Supreme. Weapons were one of them.

The trio made their way to their English lecture. The grounders used to call it gonaslang earlier. After the great war they decided to not limit this ancient language just to the elite warrior class. The students could easily switch between Trigedasleng and English now.

Trigedasleng was one of the first things the council taught them after they landed on Earth. The trio was quick to learn, much to the council’s surprise. If only the council knew how things worked on Eris.

Clarke wasn’t surprised to see the commander arrive for this lecture. She had deliberately picked her subjects only after taking a look at the Commander’s schedule. To make it less obvious, she had left out Political Science and Economics, which would be attended by Octavia and Raven respectively, much to their chagrin.

The trio couldn’t take up the advanced physical combat course for obvious reasons. You would need to pass the beginner’s and there was no way they could do that being first years, without catching people’s eyes. So Octavia proposed she would take up beginner’s archery instead. It was the only class which was held in parallel with the APC at 6 am in the same shared field. She could very well fake being mediocre at it.

As soon as Lexa entered, she saw that the seat in the middle was vacant. The students from the first lecture would have informed others of her preferences. It’s not like she had a preference, she just sat on the first vacant seat she found in Mathematics.

But she didn’t mind. The lectures were audible and she felt she would appear less intimidating to the professors this way. She looked around to check out familiar faces from the first lecture.

She recognised the woman to her left with dirty blonde hair who was one of the first benchers in Math. The gorgeous woman smiled at her and Lexa found herself returning it back. _“When a beautiful woman smiles at you, you smile back. No big deal”,_ she thought to herself. She was glad Anya wasn’t around her to not so subtly shower her comments.

Some unfamiliar faces smiled at her as well, to which she nodded, the smile from her previous exchange with the dirty blonde still ghosting her lips.

When she turned to her right, she noticed that the blue-eyed blonde was sitting at the back, in the last seat. She was accompanied by the tall brunette who had nudged her in Math, and a raven coloured girl who seemed to have a permanent smirk. They were all listening to what the brunette was saying. 

The blonde seemed almost bored and glanced around to find Lexa’s gaze. The blonde nervously nodded at her which seemed to be out of courtesy than anything else, which was returned by the commander. She returned her attention to her friends with the same bored expression.

Lexa didn’t know why she felt disappointed at their brief interaction. Surely, she wasn’t expecting the blonde to jump around the desks and embrace her, locking her eyes with her own twinkling blue eyes adorning a smile she was yet to see, but she wasn’t expecting her to look at her with an uninterested, nervous expression (if such a combination was even possible), especially after what she did when Lexa was being introduced to the class.

Okay, to say that she was disappointed would be an understatement.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, to say that Lexa was disappointed would be an understatement.

Lexa couldn’t place the reason why she wished the blonde to _want_ to know her as Lexa, not the Heda, and get to know about her in process. She didn’t recognise such a feeling.

She had always avoided interacting with strangers on a personal level. She liked it when people around her just assumed that her life was how it was presented to be. Her public image was very well crafted by her advisors and she deliberately avoided adding any personal details to it.

As long as people knew she was dangerous and not to be meddled with, she was satisfied. She did nothing to stop the rumours that spread, as long as they weren’t personal. Her fighting skills only added fuel to those rumours.

Hence, she couldn’t place the feeling. She wanted to talk to the blonde, ask her name to begin with. She wanted to get to know this mysterious girl. Mysteries made Lexa feel unsettled. She liked knowing answers. _“Nothing should be a mystery to the Heda. Strange, unknown things are a threat”_ , she remembered one of Titus’ lectures.

However, the demeanor that this girl at the back possessed radiated anything but threat. Her body language was almost...shy? With the way she was glancing around, she seemed nearly nervous. The way her hands fiddled around with her watch screamed lack of confidence.

But Lexa couldn’t forget the way her eyes looked at her during their first interaction which piqued her interest. Sure, it wasn’t something that hasn’t happened before. Some fools at the polis tower forgot their place and stared directly into her eyes when she made her first appearance after the conclave, simply out of curiosity.

There was no malice involved. They were quick to learn and most of them turned out to be very docile. She wanted to know in which category did this girl fall into. She would also not just dismiss the idea of her being a threat, just like she wouldn’t do it with anyone whom she didn’t know personally.

With the way some clans behaved during the meetings at get tower, especially Azgeda, she knew safety was just an illusion. An illusion that can wreak havoc and she would certainly not put it past any of those clans to plant assassins at the University just to get to her.

She was brought out of her reverie by a middle-aged woman who turned out to be her English professor. “Hello everyone. You may call me Madisson. I will be teaching you English which used to be what our forefathers called Gonaslang, a language previously reserved for the elite warrior class. But the great war changed it all. I am sure you’ll learn more about it in your history lectures if one is not asleep already”.

That earned a few chuckles from the class. Maddison had the warmest of smiles which made the students more comfortable and at ease. “Today we will only have introductions. I would like you to introduce yourselves to your classmates. I won’t ask you to get up and speak in front of everyone, unless this is something, you’re comfortable with. However, I want each one of you to at least speak with five to six different people and converse about subjects which both the parties are comfortable with. Some of the subjects can be…”, she trailed off to start writing on the board. In the most beautiful writing the Erisites had ever seen (yes, they still had to get used to a lot of stuff), she wrote

“Name, Areas of interests, Hobbies, Favourite sport…”, they didn’t need to read any further.

“Might as well count my toes”, breathed Raven. Now, Raven was probably the most brilliant person Clarke had the privilege of knowing.

No, she _was_ the most brilliant person ever. She had helped Clarke overthrow Pike when she challenged him to a Troust, she engineered the deadliest weapons her two best friends could only dream of. She earned the best of grades in academics back on Eris’ training facility which the trio attended together, and she had managed to save her friends’ asses more times than they could remember.

But _patience_ wasn’t one of her virtues.

Octavia recalled Raven fiddling with wires mumbling something about how the wave particle duality was just a sham to the three-dimensional world, _while_ they were waiting for the Supreme to deliver one of the messages regarding their next quest.

So yes, Raven was not patient.

Thankfully, none of the students paid heed to the mundane activities listed on board and randomly started conversing with whoever they wanted to talk to. Some got up and marched across the room, some gravitated towards the middle bench seeming to want to get acquainted with the commander.

Thankfully, no one seemed particularly interested in getting to know the three people at the back, who were getting more and more handy with ‘keeping a low profile’.

One of the reasons was that they hadn’t really seen the trio in Polis before the University commenced. Most of the students had attended the schools in town and knew each other, or at least recognised faces, via various inter-school tournaments.

Clarke and her friends were new, and the way Clarke deliberately fidgeted with her watch spooked off those who knew she wouldn’t be anywhere close to famous in college. Everyone wanted to be friends with popular students, and confidence was one of the _major_ personality traits of such figures.

It was everyone’s first year but some students simply managed to stand out. They way they spoke attracted others like moth to a flame. Thankfully, Clarke managed to radiate a completely opposite vibe, enough to make up for the three of them.

However, they couldn’t help with how attractive they were. Octavia noticed a tall man stealing glances at her. He was well built and by the scars on his face she was sure he would be one of those few students enrolled in APC. She couldn’t help but notice how good-looking he was and Supreme knows she had seen a fair share of attractive men on Eris.

“You know you haven’t sworn yourself to celibacy, right? Just get on with it already. The handsome hunk has been drooling over you since we entered”, mumbled Clarke, smirking at the blush spread across her friend’s face.

“Moreover, if the three of us continue to sulk around avoiding others one would find _that_ abnormal”, added Raven.

She was right. They were yet to strike a balance between staying out of everyone’s radar, and not drifting _so_ out of the radar that the grounders feel the need to send search & rescue parties. It was their first day and they knew it wouldn’t take very long to find a middle ground. Moreover, Clarke couldn’t be more wrong with her teasing. She just wanted to know this attractive man, _as a friend._

“Okay, I am only doing this because I need a _friend_. A _friend_ who can show us around, in a very _friendly_ manner, this _friendly_ city”.

“Suuureee.”

Not willing to invite a banter, she stood up and walked towards _the handsome hunk_. _“Ugh, Clarke.”_

Meanwhile, Raven had found a red-head to converse with. Noticing how her hands rested on her chin and her fingers played with her upper lips with determined eyes, one would say she was very interested in what she was hearing.

But Clarke knew better. She could tell her friend was stifling a yawn and desperately trying to not zone out. Shaking her head at her friend’s shenanigans, she noticed someone approach and stand right next to her.

She looked up to find a cute girl smiling at her. She stood up to return the smile. “ _Just think of attractive girls Clarke, that should take care of your predicament_ ”, she recalled one of Octavia’s “pointers on what to do about the overly-confident-Griffin-charm”.

_"Well you were right about that, O!"._

“Hi! I am Nyliah.”

“Hey Nyliah, nice to meet you. My name's Clarke.” _Seriously?_

“I am sorry but are you new here? I would definitely remember this face if I saw you in Polis”.

Clarke couldn’t help the blush spread all across her face. Wow, was this a casual thing to say around here or was Nyliah actually flirting? Okay, she would definitely need to ask one of the council members if they could provide her a memo of social etiquettes followed here in the ground.

“Uh, yes I am new. My friends and I were home-schooled in Floukru under _Trisa_ and then we moved here to pursue our Bachelors.”

Clarke knew she shouldn’t feel guilty about lying through her teeth but she couldn’t help it. This was a stranger, on a random planet, and she should get used to this after several quests laid out by the Supreme. They were her people, and she was doing it for all of them. _“Peace can sometimes cost your own peace of mind. You must not lose your soul”_ ,she remembered her master’s words.

She was assigned a master once she won the Troust. Masters had to renounce their names when they signed up for their own training. It was primarily done to avoid any attachments, something that Clarke never understood. Before she was marked, she had to go on quests and learn a great deal about what becoming a Chancellor entailed.

Her master trained her on uniting one’s mind, body and soul. The Chancellor was the symbol of love, hope and peace among other things. Clarke would need to make decisions that were immensely difficult – decisions that could haunt her mind and traumatise her even if she was doing it for the greater good.

For that she had to learn how to maintain her sanity and be at peace with her actions. She had eventually conquered it all, at least everything her master could teach. The rest, he assured, she would learn via experiences. The mark would help too.

And it did. The tattoo on her knuckles somewhat soothed her mind. She had become the most patient, reasonable and understanding member of her group.

Regret and grudges were a thing of the past- regret would help no one and grudges, oh she knew a person of her station couldn’t afford to hold grudges. Her anger could topple mountains, and she couldn’t let that happen.

Suppressing such light pangs of guilt had definitely become easier.

“Ah, I knew it! It was a pleasure to meet you Clarke. I’ll be happy to show you around. Polis is beautiful!”. Talking to Nyliah was easy. They spoke about the places they could visit, the shops she should avoid and the places that sold Polis’ delicacies.

That definitely did something to the foodie in Clarke. The food here definitely didn’t make her miss home. She had learned that the soil here was rich enough to support an extremely rich flora and fauna.

Back on Eris, they had to rely on bland fruits and veggies. Meat was obviously rare, but the labs had successfully replicated the nutrients in the form of shakes. Clarke’s taste buds, however, welcomed the change. 

After speaking with Nyliah, Clarke made her way to meet a short haired boy, whose name she’d later learn was Roan. On her way she caught a glimpse of green eyes almost glaring at her. “ _What’s gotten into her?_ ”

She made small talks with Roan, Echo and Harper. It felt nice to talk to people outside of her group and hold light, casual conversations which didn’t involve missions and quests for a change.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Lexa meet.

Clarke made small talks with Roan, Echo and Harper. It felt nice to talk to people outside of her group and hold light, casual conversations which didn’t involve missions and quests for a change.

She wanted to get to know the green-eyed goddess who was now in one of the corners smiling and speaking with a pretty girl. “Seems like Costia knows how to make her smile” said Harper. Clarke suddenly had a weird feeling in her stomach. This was unfamiliar. “ _Must be the chicken I had last night.”_

Meanwhile, Lexa spoke with Lincoln, Quint and Costia. When Quint addressed her by her name, she felt uncomfortable. Not because of the fact that he uttered her name, because she had herself asked her classmates to do so, but because of the way he pronounced it. It was borderline disrespectful. She knew that one need not out-rightly disregard you to get to your nerves deliberately. Her political meetings with the clan ambassadors continuously kept her vigilant. She knew how dirty people could play, and she could handle it effortlessly.

If she were to expect them to behave like she was their classmate, she could put up with a few idiots as long as their idiocy was directed at Lexa, their classmate, and not their Heda. She knew the difference all too well and judging with how subtle Quint was with his words, he knew it too.

She found out that Lincoln was one of the students she would be training with in APC. He had requested Indra for a trial during summers, and passed the beginner’s before the session started. Doing so was not easy, he had to be pretty good at it, Lexa thought to herself. He also told her that there were two other students, both seniors.

There was one more person she wanted to speak with. She glanced around to find the blonde scanning the room, as if she was trying to decide who to speak with, next. Lexa walked towards her slowly, without making any sound. That was one of the qualities that almost every Trikru possessed, which made them prolific hunters. She convinced herself that this was why she approached the blonde this way, not because she didn’t want to seem too eager.

The blonde turned towards her before she could reach. If Lexa didn’t know any better, she would say that the woman _heard_ her inaudible footsteps approaching. The blonde had the same twinkle in her eyes she had earlier seen.

When she smiled, Lexa's breath hitched. She wondered if this was what staring into the sun up close felt like. The twinkle in her eyes combined with her smile reminded her of the rays radiating from the sun ending a gloomy day. She thought she should look away lest she burns herself alive. But the emotion tugging at her heart was nothing like the raging fire she expected. She felt _at peace._ All of a sudden, she couldn’t remember who she was a second ago - the person burdened with uncountable responsibilities. She felt like.. _Lexa_. Someone she thought she had lost long ago. Someone she reluctantly gave up the moment she got to know she was a nightblood.

This was what she was fighting for. The kind of peace she felt coursing through her veins, this is what she wanted to bring to the coalition. She wanted an end to all wars. She wanted to see her people _happy_ , free of tensions that still loomed because of Azgeda. Not to mention the closed off skykru who had refused to join the coalition, even after knowing their history very well.

The skykru had once formed an alliance with _Swaranj_ who was the commander during the great war that took place around 100 years ago. Together they had defeated the _maunoun_ who committed unbelievable atrocities towards anyone who wasn’t one of them.

The skykru were from the old world who took refuge in space during the _praimfaya_ – the nuclear apocalypse that happened about a century prior to their arrival. They had minor altercations with the commander’s army, but Swaranj ultimately convinced them to form the alliance.

They were content with the alliance and refused to bow down to the commander to become one of the clans. A mutual understanding was then established. The commander agreed to not attack them as long as the skykru didn’t cause trouble. The situation is still the same but Lexa wanted to try again. Just because their ancestors kept their word didn’t mean the skykru won’t stir things up now. She wanted the skykru to become a part of her coalition.

“Hi Lexa, you okay?” a polite voice brought her out of her musings. Her voice was so soft and melodious that Lexa wondered if this girl ever faced one single harsh incident in her life.

“Hi! Sorry, I was just thinking about something", not wanting to reveal the emotions she didn't understand how this sun-kissed princess made her feel. "Anyway, may I know what’s your name?” She pretended she didn’t already know, from the conversation she'd overheard between Clarke and Nyliah. Overheard. No, she didn’t eavesdrop. Even though the blonde was about 10 feet away in a class full of chatter. Even though she had no idea what Lincoln was talking about, _to_ her _,_ the entire time Clarke was with Nyliah. Right, overheard.

“I am Clarke. Clarke Griffin.”

“Clarke”, she replied, liking how the name felt in her mouth, “I was just wondering which clan do you belong to?”

“I am from Flokru. My friends and I were home-schooled in Floukru under _Trisa_ before this”, Clarke said, repeating what she had been taught during her prep time.

The council took care of it. Luna, one of the members of the council had familiarised her with the Floukru customs, culture and history. The Supreme had given the Chancellor very detailed information on the three council members who were supposed to help them prepare for their time on earth. Jake had made sure they contacted the council members on the ground beforehand and the three of them were already prepared for the Erisites’ arrival, much to their surprise. " _You think only you have prophesies sky-girl?”_ Luna had exclaimed when she had first met her and asked the council member about it.

Clarke didn’t know if Luna called her ‘sky-girl’ because they were practically aliens to descend from the sky, or because Luna knew that Clarke’s ancestors were once a part of the Ark in space. The Ark which descended down, now known as Arcadia. The grounders though, called them sky-people, or the skykru. Clarke wondered if Luna somehow knew their history. The fact that about 50 people separated from the Ark after rebelling against the leaders and took off to crash down on an isolated planet which is now their home, Eris. Whatever it was, she didn’t ask any further.

“Trisa has served well. She has taught many goufas (children) and helped them finish school. Many of them straightaway decide to train and become warriors as soon as they are done with school. Why did you decide to join Polis University?” Clarke was glad to see that Lexa was genuinely curious to get to know her. If only she could spill the beans.

“Well, I was more inclined to become a healer, and hence I chose to study here. Professor Nyko is one of the best. I want him to become my Supervisor after I graduate”, she answered. It wasn’t all false, she was truly interested in medicine before Pike’s atrocities became unbearable for her to witness on Eris. She then decided to fight for justice instead.

Lexa seemed to contemplate on what Clarke had said, which almost made the blonde cautious. _Did I give something away?_

“It’s good to hear so. We are constantly in need of healers.”

“So I have heard. One cannot win a war without healers”. Lexa noticed that Clarke had a distant look in her eyes for a second, as if recalling something. _“What are you, a specialist in reading eyes now?”_ Nope. Only certain blue ones.

As if suddenly remembering something, she further added “I think it’s almost time for my next class. I don’t think the Heda is interested in painting, is she?” Her tone was light and friendly, which earned her a smile from the commander. Clarke felt herself wanting to bring it out of the goddess more often. _Smells like trouble._

“If I were to learn painting too, I’d barely get time to sleep.” Clarke thought Lexa almost looked… wistful.

“Well, you almost make it sound like a chore”, the blonde almost huffed.

At Lexa’s raised eyebrow she added “I mean, I don’t know. You don’t have to _learn_ it if you don’t enjoy it. And if you do enjoy it you wouldn’t have to _make_ time for it, at least not every day. It’ll be as natural as breathing”. Clarke noticed that the stoic exterior slipped to reveal a scandalised expression, eyes almost comical, before it was right back.

It took Lexa a while to understand the blonde’s words. To pursue something she liked, on a daily basis, was out of question for the Heda. Her destiny had already been determined by the spirits and honestly, she didn’t ponder much upon anything that wasn’t a part of her duty.

“I don’t think even breathing is natural for the commander.” Were it not for Lexa’s serious expression, Clarke would have laughed at her face. The blonde then saw one of her guards, whose name was Gustus if she recalled correctly, staring at her intently, with a disgusted look. The latest statement from the brunette suddenly hit her. Lexa had a set routine which she never deviated from. Anyone who tried to be friends with Lexa was probably under constant scrutiny by her guards and perceived as a threat. Her guards, her warriors and healers would do anything to keep her alive and safe. It looked like she wasn’t even allowed to breathe without them knowing. This statement made her realise how lonely Lexa was.

As if suddenly realising she’d given away too much information, Lexa schooled her features before she said “I shouldn’t keep you from your art class. I’ll see you around.” With that she quickly exited the class without waiting for Clarke to reply.

“Pleasure to meet you too”, Clarke thought to herself, taking in the retreating figure. Someone was definitely going to linger in her thoughts throughout the day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the hits, comments and kudos! You guys are awesome!

If Lexa thought a brief interaction with Clarke would placate her curiosity, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Her inquisitiveness increased exponentially.

The first thing that struck her was that Clarke spoke fluently. She used certain words and phrases that were not commonly used by many people, even by the ones who had studied English in their University curriculum. They obviously knew what these meant, but most of them were still not fluent enough to speak multiple sentences without substituting few words with their Trigedasleng counterparts.

Some of the members of her army _especially_ chose to pursue higher studies before becoming warriors or healers because they wanted to learn how to be proficient in a language that had helped their ancestors in the great war. History taught them that the skykru only knew English, and so did the maunoun.

This was the only way their warrior ancestors could communicate with their sky allies, and the maunoun. They had heard stories of how sometimes blood was spilled solely because of miscommunication.

At times, common civilians would be present during heated discussions among the skykru members. But when asked by the army generals of their clans, the best they could do was comically enact what they saw and narrate jumbled words, whatever they remembered, which was useless.

The generals had to eventually give up on asking them and miss out what may have been a crucial piece of information.

Thus, Commander Swaranj had made it mandatory for all the clans to learn the language after the war ended, keeping in mind that the skykru was still an ally who had refused to be a part of the coalition.

Moreover, who is to say there weren’t more skykru members, or enemies similar to the maunoun hidden up in space? This theory, however, was considered a mere speculation by many.

Commander Swaranj made it compulsory for all schools to teach English. The elders were given special lessons by appointed members. She deliberately asked all her warriors to start speaking to the civilians in this language. She even started distributing old world texts to make all of them more familiar with the foreign language.

It wasn’t easy – some people were against learning the ‘enemy language and customs’. But the commander knew that knowledge is power, and she would never again lose a life just because one of her people took the phrase ‘twist someone’s arm’ literally.

Eventually, they became more tolerant and the surviving old-world texts (which were few) started gaining popularity. Some of the young goufas (children) even started showing interest in wearing the kind of clothes depicted in one of the pages.

Slowly, the old-world culture started merging into theirs, and here they were. One would almost confuse them with the skykru that landed all those years ago. Who knows what they wore now, behind those walls.

It was due to this fact that they gained some technological and medical knowledge. After they started reading English, it was not difficult to understand the old-world research papers. The commanders that followed opened up Universities/Colleges which started working on their own research. One could opt to attend these Universities after passing out from schools. It would further refine their knowledge on various subjects, provide training in combat and war strategies and encourage research among those who were inclined.

Typically, they would continue their journey to become warriors or choose other professions and leave after 3 years. Few stayed for research studies which normally happened after the 3rd year.

When the Universities were established, the researchers had relied on the old-world texts, but they eventually started coming up with their own inventions. A cure for ‘ _tuberculosis’_ was one of their major breakthroughs.

Few years ago, they figured out how to use a radio, something the skykru never let them touch even during the great war. Cellular mobile phones quickly followed. Once the grounders figured it out, only the Commander and her few trusted generals were allowed to use them, and Lexa wanted to keep it that way. It was a dangerous weapon. She knew that Queen Nia of Azgeda has had her eyes on it as soon as she came to power.

Lexa also noticed that Clarke was almost nervous of her surroundings. Her body language indicated that she wasn’t very inclined towards anything remotely close to combat. Maybe it was because the Floukru were very peace loving, and avoided fights at all costs, unlike Trikru. Fighting was in Trikru’s blood, and they were quick to defend their honour. Clarke seemed more passionate towards art and healing. The blonde in question certainly piqued Lexa’s interest, and she didn’t know if she liked what Clarke stirred up inside her.

The rest of the day passed rather quickly for Lexa. She liked the teachers and most of the students. It might take some time for the hype to tone down but she was confident that the students would ultimately get used to having her around.

Clarke and her friends returned to their camp after classes. It was located deep inside the forest. The trio had to make sure they weren’t being followed, which was a piece of cake.

A familiar face greeted Clarke in the evening.

“Chancellor.”

“Hi Luna!”

“How was your first day of college?”

“Oh it was okay. The people seem nice. I like Polis”, Clarke replied with a genuine smile.

“Polis is beautiful. I wish the circumstances were different. I would have introduced you to the Heda right away. I am sure she would have been honoured to host you and show you around.”

“Oh, Clarkey here might not need that for it to happen”, Octavia chimed in suddenly appearing out of nowhere, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Not again, O”, Clarke said with an exasperated expression.

At Luna’s questioning look, Octavia added “Commander McHottie has already taken an interest in Clarke. I saw you two getting chummy in English. And don’t think I didn’t notice you stealing glances at her in the cafeteria”, Octavia said, pointing her finger in the blonde’s direction. 

“Okay, first of all, it was an introductory class, we weren’t getting chummy”, air quoting ‘chummy’, she continued “we were just introducing ourselves. _Introducing_ Octavia, in an _introductory_ class. Secondly, I wasn’t stealing glances. We’re supposed to be looking out, remember? I was just doing my job”, Clarke said, casually shrugging at the last comment.

Luna was amused at the banter that followed. When she was told that she was going to work with possibly the strongest mortals in the known world, she was expecting them to be more… serious.

She was surprised at cavalier attitude with which the Chancellor’s people spoke to her, as if she wasn’t the most powerful mortal they knew. She was rather relieved after what she witnessed. It made them more…human, which is not at all what she expected. The Chancellor’s attitude made her feel at ease, and heaven knows she needed that after hearing why the Erisites were here for.

They made their way further into the camp. The council was just asked to find a safe place for them to settle in. They were surprised to see the entire ship disassemble itself to expand on the ground. Their ‘camp’ was like a mini society in itself. They had metallic rooms instead of tents, and a humongous training arena. It took a few days for the council to get used to the technological marvels they saw the Erisites use on a daily basis.

By ‘getting used to’ one meant that they somehow managed to not have their jaws dropping every now and then.

About 50 Erisites had descended down for their mission. Luna learnt that Clarke had many friends. Her closest circle comprised of Wells, Raven, Octavia, Bellamy, Monty and Jasper.

The other two council members were already present at what the Erisites called the conference room. Raven joined them when Clarke and Octavia walked in along with Luna. The Chancellor asked all of them to take a seat before addressing them.

“Hello, council members. We just had our first day of college. Thank you for helping us prepare and get acclimatised. I think settling in wouldn’t be much of an issue now.”

“It’s our duty to help you anyway we can, Chancellor. What do you want us to do next?”

“Now, we wait. I want you to keep an eye out for anything strange. Anything out of the ordinary which you can’t explain. I don’t care if it turns out to be something very silly. If you spot something, report to me directly or tell either Raven or Octavia. You now know how to handle the hologram. Make good use of it. Call us anytime you want. If we’re busy with something, we’ll make sure we get back to you immediately after winding it up.”

“What do you mean by something strange, Chancellor?”, a council member asked with a grim expression on their face.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I wish I knew what we are supposed to deal with. For now, we wait for a clue, a signal of sorts. Something out of the ordinary. That should give us a clue as to what to expect.”

To say that this caused unrest among the council members would be an understatement. The supposed saviours of the universe had no idea about what they were dealing with. The gravity of the situation sent a shudder down their spines.

Clarke seemed to sense the uneasiness. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing I have not dealt with before. I mean, this situation. Not knowing the enemy. Usually, the fear of the unknown rattles us so much we tend to give into it even before the battle begins. I know this must be nerve wreaking for you right now. But I assure you, we have the best of warriors with very capable generals. We have been to many wars and quests in space.”

“But Chancellor, if the enemy is as skilful as how we have seen your people are in the training arena, I don’t think our people will stand a chance.”

Octavia interrupted before Clarke could reply, “I don’t think that is true. I don’t know about the other clans but I have seen the Trikru spar in practice grounds. With the right kind of weapons and ample training, you should be able to defend yourself.The Erisites are probably the best warriors out there, so I wouldn’t assume our enemy to be some super magical creatures with unicorns and shit. They are mortals like you and I. They will have a weakness we can exploit. We just need to know what it is. Clarke is one of the best strategists. We just need to know what we are dealing with, and I am sure we will figure it out from there.”

The council members seemed to ponder on what Octavia had said. The fact that they will be up against mortals after all did reassure them to an extent. But they were far from being as optimistic as the Erisites were.

“The Commander will play a crucial role. She will need to keep her people united. Is there any threat to the coalition at present?”

“Well, Queen Nia wasn’t very happy when Lexa won the conclave. She has been doing everything in her power to undermine her authority since then”.

“Heda has also been trying to find a way to communicate with the skykru from what I have heard. They have closed themselves off behind those walls and we don’t know what they’re up to”, said Luna.

The idea of breathing on the same planet as the skykru felt strange to the Erisites. They didn’t know if the skykru ancestors passed on to their progenies, the history of the Ark. If they did, the Erisites weren’t sure whether the skykru will welcome them with open arms.

Not that this put the Erisites in danger.

But if the skykru accepted Heda’s invitation to join her, it may jeopardise the coalition when the Erisites make themselves known. The Erisites and the coalition had to work together, and they couldn’t afford the skykru or any other clan being opposed to the idea.

Which is why the Heda had to have full control of the coalition. Any chance of opposition had to be taken care of. The spirit had chosen Lexa to be the commander, and they couldn’t risk a non-nightblood like Nia be in charge.

Raven seemed to contemplate on something before asking “Doesn’t Heda have spies inside Arcadia?”

“No, the treaty between skykru and the commander clearly stated that the commander should let them be. They have created fences around them which we aren’t supposed to cross. When Heda tried contacting them via a messenger, the messenger died as soon as he touched the fence.”

“He must have been electrocuted”, Raven said.

“Yes. Heda’s researchers tried picking up a signal to contact them via radios or cellular phones, but found none.”

“Jammers. Wow, they’re really protective of their bubble”, Raven mused.

“We’ll deal with them if need be. For now, we lie low and continue training at our camp. We need the coalition to stay put, so any opposition to Lexa is indirectly a trouble for us as well. Keep your eyes open. The spirits deem Lexa worthy enough, but I need to personally ensure she can fight well. In fact, all the nightbloods for that matter. They will probably be targeted.”

“Our Commander is capable enough to deal with disruptive clans. All the attempts at her assassination have failed so far”, one of the council members defended their Heda rather curtly.

“I am not undermining her capabilities. The spirits choose well, but you must understand that I can’t leave any stone unturned”, Clarke said in a placating tone knowing how the Heda is worshipped among her people.

“Speaking of which, you must be careful with using such phrases”, a council member observed. “Only the ones who have thoroughly read the old-world textbooks and completed advanced level English courses at the University level use such phrases. Many who haven’t pursued academics at the University level don’t even understand what they mean.”

“I would suggest you keep your grades high in your English class”, Luna said. “I have spread the word about Trisa’s excellence in this language, so that people don’t suspect her pupils. Using such phrases isn’t as uncommon as it once was, so you won’t raise suspicion. But still, be careful.”

“Thank you, we will keep that in mind”, Clarke replied with a smile receiving a nod from Luna.

“We will try to be around the Commander as much as possible. Octavia, keep an eye on her training when you attend your Archery.”

Octavia rolled her eyes and said, “Like you need to ask.”

“Thank you, that would be all”, Clarke dismissed them with a polite smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think?

It didn’t take Clarke and her friends more than a couple of days to get settled among the students in Polis University. They were finally able to make friends _and_ keep a low profile. Clarke was the most successful one among the trio. She managed to keep a passive body language. When she wasn’t with Raven or Octavia she preoccupied herself with books.

Raven was well, Raven.

“ _I am chaaarrmming. Anything less wouldn’t do justice to my character.”_

_“It’s not a play Raven.”_

_“The world’s stage, And all the men and women merely players.”_

_“Men and women? Where did your spectrum & intersectionality vanish Rayes?”_

_“Well, Shakespeare wasn’t woke like me.”_

After half an hour of banter covering sexism during the old-world Elizabethan era, Virginia Woolf’s love letters to her lover, Bellamy’s horrible pan cakes and Projection vectors on a closed surface, they decided that it was best to leave Raven Rayes to her own devices.

Octavia found herself somewhere in between the two. She was perceived as the leader of the group, with a passive-aggressive I-won’t-tolerate-bullies attitude. She had joined beginner’s archery that started at 6 am, in the same huge field where the Advanced Physical Combat (APC) class was held at the same time.

“So now that you’ve observed Lexa for a couple of days, what do you think about her training skills?” Clarke asked casually, not wanting to sound too eager.

“I thought you’d never ask”, Octavia said dramatically, winking at Raven who wiggled her eyebrows with a knowing smirk.

“Raven. Octavia.”

“Clarke.”

Clarke let out an exasperated sigh.

“Okay okay. We’re just pulling your leg. Anyway, Lexa is good. Like _really_ good. Her skills with the sword are truly remarkable. I don’t think I have seen any grounder fight so tactically. The only person who can put up a fight with her in APC is the coach herself. With the way they both gauge each other’s moves, I think Lexa was her _seken_. They seem to have known each other since a long time. With our weapons and training, I think they’ll put up a good fight”, Octavia said with a determined look.

Octavia was one of Clarke’s best warriors. One thing the brunette was really good at was spotting a good fighter when she saw one.

Clarke seemed to consider her answer before saying, “And what about hand-to-hand combat, and other weapons?”

“I have only seen her use a sword. But judging by what the archers say in my class, she’s equally adept with a bow & arrow. I haven’t seen her in a hand to hand combat either. I think Lexa and Anya, the coach, come early before the rest of the class. They probably practice hand-to-hand combat during that period of time.”

Clarke was intrigued by Octavia’s account. She wanted to see the green-eyed brunette fight herself. Since Archery only started at 6 am it would look strange if Octavia came early just to keep a track of Lexa’s hand-to-hand fight. Clarke decided she would herself find a way to do so.

To say that she was excited to observe Lexa train daily would be an understatement. Maybe she could make use of the library that overlooked the field where Lexa trained. Or volunteer herself for helping clean the training grounds.

When they reached their class she saw that Lexa was already there, seated next to Costia. They were engaged in a conversation and as soon as Clarke moved to take a seat at her usual seat at the back, she saw Lexa lift her gaze up to meet Clarke’s and nod in the blonde’s direction with a hint of smile across her lips.

Clarke had no reservations in smiling and she returned the acknowledgement with a smile fully reaching her eyes, before taking her seat. Lexa’s lips subconsciously started mirroring it when Costia subtly nudged her apparently waiting for her to reply to something.

“Lexa?”

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked you if you were nervous about the assignment Alex was talking about”, she smiled shyly. Alex, their Math teacher had informed them that they would be given an assignment. Students would work in pairs, and submit it within a month. Most of the students were afraid because Alex wasn’t exactly lenient. At least they got to work with a partner.

“Not really, I like Math”, Lexa replied honestly.

“Ah, I should have expected so, genius”, Costia replied somewhat flirtatiously. Lexa smiled at her with a slight blush.

Lexa’s sexuality was no secret. She was used to the attention she received from women around her. Lexa didn’t mind the harmless flirting and at times she let it escalate to another level. She had had a lot of casual flings and interesting nights, nothing serious. She couldn’t afford to get distracted with all the responsibilities.

That was one of Titus’ main philosophies that she followed dearly. _Love is weakness._ Although she couldn’t ever forget Anya’s reaction when she had told her the same. Her mentor had laughed really hard, almost falling out of her chair.

_“I can’t believe the Commander’s personal advisor is so immature”, she had said when the laughter had died, with a look Lexa recognised immediately as subtle concern._

Since then, Anya made no reservations in vocalising her opinions on Titus and his teachings.

Anya had been a mentor to her for as long as she could remember. Barely a few years older than her, she had become a sister like figure who didn’t hesitate to put Lexa in her place even after she won the conclave.

Anya was one of the few people she truly cared about, and would often waste no time in telling her everything Titus taught her. She looked up to her, and cared about her mentor’s opinion even after she became the Commander. Anya was now one of her most trusted generals and Indra had wasted no time in asking her to be their coach for their morning APC classes.

Anya didn’t hide her displeasure upon hearing that she would have to teach “ _foolish gonas”_ along with Lexa. However, Lexa knew she didn’t actually mind and would do anything for her former seken.

She was brought out of her musings when Alex cleared his throat.

“Here’s your assignment. I want you to solve your sheet within a month. I have paired you up according to your enrolment numbers. Take a sheet and pass the rest, it has your partner’s name written.”

They were assigned enrolment numbers according to the date of admission. Clarke, Octavia and Raven had taken admission together in that order, once they went through Lexa’s schedule after the brunette got admitted. Once she saw that Octavia got paired up with Raven instead of her, her heart raced at the alternate possibility.

When the sheet was passed to Lexa, her heart skipped a beat noticing that she had been paired with none other than Clarke Griffin. She was so lost in her own world that she missed the disappointed look Costia threw her way.

Clarke pointedly ignored the grins on her friends’ faces as they glanced at her sheet, sometime after Alex resumed teaching.

“Bet you are ready to declare math as your favourite subject now”, teased Raven.

Her friends noticed the pink tinge to her ears as the class got dismissed. Clarke knew she had to talk to Lexa about how they would go on about the assignment, but she decided she wouldn’t do it in front of her friends who would have a field trip with it. She went on to attend her classes.

After the Art class got dismissed, Clarke walked towards the cafeteria where she was supposed to meet Raven and Octavia for lunch. On her way, she saw the man named Quint throw a devilish snarl towards someone. He and a couple of others had cornered Atom.

Clarke didn’t know Atom personally, but they had talked a couple of times in one of her classes. He was sweet and rather shy, with a kind smile ever present on his face. But now his lips were pursed and his eyes looked scared. Clarke could see beads of sweat on his forehead.

They were standing in a poorly lit corner that was almost overshadowed by the staircase that descended in front of it. The spot was well chosen, neatly hidden away from everyone. Except from a certain blonde who could _smell_ trouble.

“What did I tell you about Hannah, Atom?” Quint took a step forward towards him.

“Th-that she’s off limits”, Atom managed to blurt out.

“And what did you do?”

“I swear I didn’t do anything. I was ju- aah!”

He was cut off as one of Quint’s friend grabbed Atom by his hands and tucked them roughly behind his back.

“I already asked you to stay away from her once. Do you know what I do to people who mess with me?” Quint asked with a dangerous edge in his voice.

He didn’t wait for Atom to answer. The man standing on his left stepped forward and kicked one of Atom’s shins, which resulted in a sharp hiss of pain from Atom.

Now, Clarke knew she had to avoid people’s eyes, lie low and stay out of trouble. The last thing she wanted was to get involved in whatever the stupid college bullies were up to. But she couldn’t look away. Her master had taught her how one may sometimes need to concede a battle to win a war.

But Clarke Griffin wasn’t the best of students, and not even remotely close to following advices.

According to her, everyone deserved justice - no matter how big or small a part they played in the grand scheme of things.

She took few steps forward and caught the eyes of the man still holding atom’s hands. Quint and others followed his gaze and turned around to find Clarke standing in front of them with fury in her eyes.

In the calmest voice they'd ever come across, they heard the blonde say, “Step. Away.”


	9. Chapter 9

In the calmest voice they'd ever come across, they heard the blonde say, “Step. Away.”

They were taken aback by the sharp contrast between the blonde’s tone and what her eyes conveyed. To their surprise, they were somehow more petrified of her tone. If not for Clarke’s reputation as the girl who didn’t know the first thing about a fight, they would have already peed their pants.

Quint seemed to register who she was and collected himself before his evil smirk returned. Atom, who was relieved to hear someone approach them, found his dreaded expression return upon seeing who it was.

“Or what? I don’t see any of those low-lives that your friends are. YOU are the one who’s going to stop me?” He started laughing wickedly, clutching his stomach, as if he had heard the funniest joke of his life.

Clarke didn’t respond for a second. What Quint thought was fury in her eyes changed to amusement and then what resembled boredom. She repeated herself, in the same calm voice, “I said, step away from him Quint.”

Before he could reply, they heard a strong voice from above “What’s going on?”

The all looked up to see Lexa descend from the staircase, followed by Raven from behind who raised an eyebrow at Clarke. _What has this girl gotten herself into now?_

Quint looked at Lexa with an irritated expression, as if he just had his favourite candy snatched away from him. He said, “Oh, nothing worth your attention, _Lexa_ ” _._ He almost spat the last word, which didn’t go unnoticed by Clarke. She felt disgusted at how he looked at Lexa, like she was a piece of toy he couldn’t play with. At least not how he could with others.

“Let me be the judge of that Quint”, Lexa said in a hard, commanding voice.

“We were just having fun. Atom wanted to learn a couple of moves he saw during our training”, the man who had just released Atom upon Lexa’s arrival provided.

Clarke saw Lexa watching him with an incredulous expression. She then looked at Atom before asking “Is that so?”

“Ye-yes Heda. It’s all fine”, Atom said, desperately trying to hide the fearful tone of his voice.

Lexa obviously didn’t believe it. She looked over to the blonde silently asking her the same question.

Clarke simply nodded, attesting to what Atom had said. She didn’t need the Commander of twelve clans inviting further attention. Some people had already started gathering seeing Lexa in what seemed to be a brawl, almost excited to see their Heda in action.

Lexa narrowed her eyes at Clarke, almost conveying “we aren’t done yet”, before nodding at Quint.

She then walked away from them towards the cafeteria.

Quint and his friends gave the blonde a dirty look before leaving. They seemed to have forgotten Atom who was now breathing a sigh of relief.

“Can’t keep yourself out of trouble, can you Griff?” Raven exclaimed shaking her head as they walked towards their usual spot.

“Yeah, well. How much of it did you guys hear?”

“Nothing, actually. Our class just got over and the next thing I see is Quint trying to size you up. If it were not for Lexa and the audience she brought with her, I would have bought myself some popcorn.”

Clarke rolled her eyes before saying “I am sorry to disappoint Rayes.”

“I don’t think you can afford to put up a show anyway. Seriously, what were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t. I would have…improvised.”

“Um hmm. Whatever floats your boat Griff. Whatever floats your boat”, Raven said, catching the sight of Octavia with the same guy from their English class, the handsome hunk.

“Hey guys! What’s up?” Octavia asked as soon as they approached their table.

“You know, random stuff. Clarke being Clarke”, Raven said rolling her eyes.

“Oh please, like you weren’t ready to pop your corns”, Clarke replied with a smirk.

“I said, I would have bought myself some popcorn. Wait, what do you even mean by ‘pop your corns’?” Raven looked incredulously at Clarke.

“Looks like someone’s losing their grip on sexual innuendos”.

“Please. I am the Queeeen of ”

“Haa oh oh oh”, Octavia almost sang, sheepishly smiling at Lincoln before glaring at her friends, “We have company.”

“Lincoln meet Clarke and Raven, guys this is Lincoln”, Octavia introduced. Lincoln gave them a polite smile and extended his hand, “Hello”.

“Hi”, they smiled back and shook his hand gripping his elbow. They had learnt that this was the most common form of greeting. They had hardly seen grounders hug each other which made them realise that they were very protective of their personal space. The trio had decided they would just let the grounders choose their preferred form of greeting while meeting them. They wouldn’t want to cause a scandal considering how little the Erisites gave a thought about personal space while greeting each other.

“Lincoln and I were just talking about the annual celebration in Polis. It will be extra special this year in honour of the newly chosen Heda”, Octavia said excitedly.

The Erisites had been rather busy over the past few months. Clarke and her friends thought they would get some rest after dealing with Pike and his men, and the Chancellor’s Troust. Coincidence or not, the Conclave on Earth was concluded the same time and the new Heda was chosen, and here they were. They had spent endless nights preparing for what could be the most important mission in two centuries. Supreme knows they could do with loosening up a little.

“Oh! Is everyone invited? What happens at the celebration?” Raven asked with sparkle in her eyes.

“Yes, the entire Polis attends the fest. All the clan leaders and ambassadors are also invited. It’s a day long affair. From sparring matches to art exhibitions – you will find everything”, Lincoln happily provided.

“Awesome! We’re going right?” Octavia looked at her friends, but discretely eyeing and asking Clarke.

“Yes, of course! I think this is what my Art teacher was speaking about. She said there was an exhibition coming up and I could display my portrait”, Clarke said.

That got all of them intrigued. “Oh! What will you paint?” asked Raven.

Clarke’s friends knew how good a painter she was. They always got excited at the prospect of her painting a new piece. Clarke knew it was more than that. Painting was therapeutic for her, and her friends knew how happy it made her feel. She hadn’t had much time on her hands ever since she challenged Pike. So when the opportunity showed itself in the form of Art class in Polis University, she took it without a second thought. Raven and Octavia were happy seeing the blonde have few carefree moments she could afford, especially after she became the Chancellor.

“I don’t know, it’ll be according to the theme. I was going to check it after lunch. Do you happen to know the theme Lincoln?” Clarke asked politely.

“Yes. It’s,” he shyly took a brief, almost involuntary glance at Octavia (which was duly noted by her friends) before answering Clarke, “Love.”

“Oh”, the blonde remarked, “interesting.”

“Yeah. Interesting. Your painting will be based on _Love_ , in a celebratory exhibition for _Lexa._ Very Interesting”, mused Octavia feigning a pensive mood.

“I bet you could do it in your sleep Clarkey”, Raven said, winking at Clarke.

“I don’t think _painting_ is what has preoccupied Clarke’s sleep of late”, chimed Octavia.

Before Clarke could reply, Lincoln caught onto the banter “Umm you might want to check what others are painting.”

The trio looked curiously at Lincoln. Clarke finally asked “Why?”

“I mean, the ones who’ve been raised in Polis. Everyone here knows Lexa’s views on love. I am sure they would base their art on that.”

They couldn’t discuss further, much to Clarke’s chagrin. Their lunch break was almost over and people had already started leaving the cafeteria for their classes. They quickly grabbed something to eat before walking towards their respective lectures. Clarke entered her Sociology class. It was the only lecture she shared with Lexa which didn’t involve Octavia and Raven.

As soon as she took her seat she saw Lexa enter and walk in her direction. She had to give it to her that Lexa didn’t even need to speak to attract eyes on her. Most of the students silently turned to look at her in awe, at how _regally_ she walked.

She noticed the magnificent green eyes look at her with curiosity. She wondered if it was ever possible to paint the exact shade Lexa’s eyes were. _Not the right time._

When Lexa approached the blonde, she said “Clarke.”

Clarke realised that the next best thing about the brunette (after her eyes) was the unique way Lexa pronounced her name. _Oh boy._

“Hi Lexa”, she couldn’t help but smile. She thought she saw a flicker in Lexa’s eyes before she returned to her stoic self.

“What happened down there? With Quint?” _Oh. Right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke learns Lexa's philosophy on Love.

“What happened down there? With Quint?” _Oh. Right._

Lexa had been waiting to ask the blonde since she interrupted the scene. She had seen how scared Atom had been, and Quint’s evil snarl directed at Clarke. She didn’t know why but she felt her blood boil when she saw that Clarke was involved. She would have otherwise waited for Quint to make a move if it were only Atom, to catch him red handed. But she just couldn’t do the same when it came to Clarke, and she couldn’t come up with a reason why.

The very fact that the presence of the sun-kissed, gorgeous woman made her act differently from what she would have done made her feel uncomfortable. _This is dangerous._

Shrugging her shoulders, Clarke said “Oh, nothing, really. You know how petty some people can get. I am sure you have more important things to take care of.”

“Anything that involves my people is important Clarke”, Lexa said, somewhat annoyed. The brunette thought Clarke’s expression changed for a second at that statement. _Was it…pride?_ Deciding not to dwell on it, she continued, “And it didn’t look like you were going to ask for help. What were you thinking?”

With amusement in her eyes, she asked “You think I am weak Lexa?”

“Asking for help doesn’t make you weak Clarke. Who knows what Quint would have done had I not interrupted”, Lexa said with an unfathomable expression.

Clarke felt various emotions swirling inside her.

The first thought that came to her mind was – “Do I matter to her?” Feeling silly, she quickly discarded the thought. 

The way Lexa thought someone as unimportant as Atom as “her people”, and barged in, showed how much the Commander cared for all of her people. It didn’t matter to her that she was here as Lexa, a student, temporarily relieved of her duties as the Heda. It made Clarke’s heart swell with pride.

She decided there was no point in debating further, so she conceded “I am sorry, I’ll keep that in mind the next time. So we are partners in the Math assignment. How do you want to go about it?”

Lexa was unhappy with the blonde’s obvious attempt at changing the subject, but she didn’t want to push her.

“Yes, I wanted to speak to you about that after the Math class but you bolted out”, Lexa said, somewhat annoyed by the way Clarke had been behaving.

After she got to know that she would be pairing up with Clarke Griffin, she was excited to talk to her about the timings and place they would need to decide upon to work on the assignment together. She didn’t expect Clarke to not even acknowledge that they have been paired up together and sprint out of the room without even sparing a look.

“Oh”, Clarke felt butterflies summersaulting in her stomach at the thought of Lexa noticing her hasty exit.

She could certainly not tell her that she was escaping her friends and the teasing that was sure to follow if she spoke to her in front of them. Clarke didn’t know if they would even hold back in front of Lexa herself. She didn’t want to find out.

And she certainly didn’t want Lexa to know about it either. _Okay jury is out on that._

“I just had to check out whether they put out the theme of the art exhibit yet”, she lied.

That seemed to placate Lexa. Clarke further added “I am free after school. But I guess you have to attend meetings, so I am okay with whatever suits you.”

Technically, that wasn’t true. She would normally go back and get to training with her warriors. She had assigned some of them daily tasks, the details of which were reported to her after training to discuss if something required further course of action.

She also held regular hologram meetings with the district representatives of Eris, discussing their problems. They didn’t get much time with their new Chancellor but were happy with the current peaceful state of affairs, unlike under Pike’s leadership. They gladly followed Clarke’s advice and were ready to compromise few things trusting her leadership abilities. They knew that things take time and no one can magically undo what Pike had done.

The Erisites had to work together under their new Chancellor, and things looked very promising so far. She had managed to settle major disputes and conflicts _while_ preparing for her mission. She directed resources towards those sectors that were lagging behind, and was handling corruption and internal conflicts pretty well- even via hologram meetings after she landed on earth.

Clarke was intelligent, compassionate, fierce and the kindest being one could ever meet. The Erisites were in awe of her capabilities, and seem to get a hint of what it _truly_ meant to win the Troust. They were content with Jake, her father and the acting Chancellor, and were satisfied enough to have fewer meetings with her as time passed. But Clarke still organised them quite regularly, in order to show them that she would always be around whenever her people needed her, which made them feel safe and protected.

Clearly, she couldn’t tell all of this to the brunette. The Heda would obviously be busier than an average college student. She would have to make room according to her schedule, and honestly, Clarke didn’t mind. She was already eagerly waiting to check out Lexa’s hand-to-hand combat skills in the morning, and something told her that there was so much more to her than meets the eye, and she couldn’t wait to get to know more about the green-eyed goddess. Not that she would ever admit it out loud.

“My meetings and discussions usually get over late evening, around 8. Polis tower has a library, we could study there.”

“That sounds fine”, Clarke said, desperately trying to hide the excitement.

Lexa smiled politely before she asked “So you’ll be painting for the annual fest?”

“Sorry?”

“You said you had to check out the theme of the art exhibit. I don’t know of any exhibition taking place other than the one for the annual fest”. Clarke caught a hint of amusement in the brunette’s eyes.

“Oh yes, my art teacher insisted”, Clarke answered with a sheepish smile.

“You must be pretty good at it then.”

“Umm, I am decent”. Lexa caught a hint of blush reflecting on the blonde’s cheek. Before she could put any thought into it, Clarke said, “Can I ask you something?”

That got Lexa intrigued. “Sure”.

Clarke had been curious to know Lexa’s views on love ever since her conversation with Lincoln. Sure, she could ask around, but there was something about Lexa that made her long for as many conversations with the brunette as possible. She wanted to ask Lexa herself, now that she was in front of her.

She wanted to hear the brunette’s response in her honey-dipped voice (and maybe manipulate her into speaking Clarke’s name once or twice?), look into her eyes, feel the emotions with which the brunette replied, and decide herself what she thought of Lexa’s views.

She could obviously not gather all of this by hearing people’s accounts. She would not risk “her mission” by asking other students about Lexa’s views on love, and there was no chance in hell she would give up the opportunity to hear her name drip from the green-eyed goddess’ lips. _Umm._

For the mission, right.

“Since the fest will be in honour of your ascension, most of the painters and artists would create their work based on your opinions as far as I have heard. Lincoln sounded like your views on love are rather unconventional. I’d like to know what they are, since it’s the theme of the exhibition”.

Lexa detected a spark of harmless, but very intense curiosity in blue eyes. The politeness with which Clarke spoke almost betrayed the intensity with which she waited for Lexa’s response.

Lexa was used to having people listen to her- but most of them seem to do it either out of duty or reverence, or because they needed something from her. Lexa was not used to _selfless_ listeners, if there was such a thing. Everyone listened to her _carefully_ , but never … _intently._ Like each word from Lexa’s mouth was the most precious thing in the world worthy of being preserved and cherished.

It was almost as if the blonde’s gaze would shatter every last bit of the humongous walls she built around her. Those walls that kept her safe.

Clarke noticed that Lexa appeared to be having some sort of an internal debate, and was getting more fazed as seconds passed by. She then seemed to come to her senses and some sort of a realisation before she replied sternly, as if to emphasise it more for herself and her internal debate, “It’s weakness.”

That seemed to catch Clarke off guard. Out of all things, she wasn’t expecting this. She raised an eyebrow and asked “What is? Love?”

Lexa couldn’t believe how incredulous the blonde looked. She replied with an even harder, determined look in her eyes, “Yes, Clarke. It’s weakness. It makes a person vulnerable. One tends to do things which they would never do if they thought with their head. The Heda can especially not afford such a weakness. It would only provide leverage to my enemies. Love makes you feel cosy and comfortable, only to break your guard and shatter you into pieces in the end”.

Clarke seemed to study the brunette for a while, and absorb it all in. Lexa couldn’t place the expression on the fragile blonde’s face, which deeply unsettled her. She liked it better when people just had realisation in their eyes whenever Lexa told them her philosophy on love.

In fact, most of them more than just realised - they gaped with astonishment as if Lexa had just popped their bubble of illusion and brought forth a brutal reality of life in front of them. But Clarke here looked at her with an expression that was anything but that. The way those blue eyes were twinkling was stirring the same strange things in her chest as she’d done before, and she waveringly vowed to cling to her philosophy even more strongly than ever.

Lexa didn’t know why but she felt the need to know what Clarke thought about it. She wanted to decipher the strange expression, grab her shoulders and shake her, screaming “What are you thinking?” She internally scoffed at how ridiculous the thought was.

Clarke’s expression finally changed and she smiled with kind eyes “Thank you for letting me know. I would love to discuss it with you, but I am afraid I can’t find the right words in such a short time. I hope my painting does justice to my thoughts though.” The blonde glanced around nervously before she nodded at their teacher who was just entering the class “Umm. I will see you at the Polis tower around 8, for the assignment?”

Lexa didn't know if she felt disappointed or relieved when the teacher entered, bringing their discussion to a halt. She settled for relief, as she wasn't mentally prepared to deal with whatever the blonde had to say about love. With a nod towards Clarke, she took her seat. _Be still, my heart._


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another interesting character is introduced!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I got a little...carried away by the last episode! Be honest, who else cried?
> 
> P.S. Thank you for over 2k hits!!

As soon as Clarke returned to their camp Bellamy caught up to her.

“Princess! How was your day?”

“It was good, Bell. We’ll have to move up today’s meeting. I am going to the Polis tower to study in the library with Lexa.”

“Does study mean something else on Earth?”

Clarke knew Raven and Octavia had filled him in on the details of their college life so far. Of course, they wouldn’t leave out  _ any  _ aspect.

“Not you too Bell”, she said with an eyeroll.

He laughed and said “Ah, sorry. Just had to. But seriously Clarke, all these jokes aside, what’s going on between you two?”

Bellamy was one of her closest friends. She knew his question came from a point of concern more than curiosity. He had been there for her when she was going through one of the roughest patches in her life. She understood where his concern and worry stemmed from.

“Nothing’s going on Bell. We are barely friends.”

“If she isn’t a bad person, I don’t see why you two wouldn’t be friends. You know you may have to spend a lot of time with her when time comes.”

“Yes, I know. But we don’t have to be friends to work with her. And as far as college is concerned, we’re just working on an assignment together. No big deal.”

“Look, I know you. If she’s good at heart there’s no reason why you wouldn’t want to be friends with her. And you’re…you. Everyone wants to be friends with you Griffin. I know it’s early but I’ll be surprised if that’s the  _ only  _ thing she wants. No one can eschew the Griffin charm for long”, Bellamy said with a wink.

He continued “So what do you think?”

“There’s nothing called Griffi-”

“That’s not what I was asking about”, he interrupted.

“Then?”

“Is she good at heart? Does she seem to be a good person?”

Clarke’s friends knew how adept the blonde was in gauging people’s traits and personalities. Sometimes, all it took her was one conversation to decide if the other person can be trusted, how selfish they were, and so on.

When they were assigned a mission to help king  _ Yugna _ and his people of planet  _ Xtrym _ get rid of the evil gang called  _ Traya,  _ they were attacked by an unexpected number of traitorous warriors, just when they were about to take down the gang. 

But then suddenly Clarke took out a horn seemingly out of nowhere and as soon as she blew it the traitors were cornered by Clarke’s appointed warriors. In the middle, stood king Yugna, with a stunned expression.

It turned out that Clarke had known that their own king Yugna was involved with the gang members and was profiting from the chaos caused among the public. She had anticipated some kind of deceit when she first spoke to the king, and her investigations proved her correct. She had then ensured she’d catch Yugna red handed and devised a fool proof plan.

“Yes, she’s a good person. It feels like she can do anything for her people. If she ever betrays anyone, I am sure it will be for the greater good of her people. I anyway don’t doubt the spirits, Bell. She carries the flame. The spirits always choose well, we know that.”

Bellamy knew that the last couple of statements weren’t just for Lexa. They had been raised learning all about the Supreme’s missions for their own previous Chancellors for Earth’s Commanders. Clarke and her friends had an inkling that this mission was different. And what made it different was the history Lexa’s bloodline carried, something that the brunette was herself not aware of.

Bellamy caught the awe in Clarke’s eyes as he said, “Is it just that? I am sure the twinkle in your eyes is not just out of admiration for a person who will do a fine job of carrying the flame. Do you like her?”

Clarke simply stared at the sky above her, seemingly lost in her own thoughts before she replied with a dry chuckle “I don’t even know her yet. But I won’t deny that there seems to be…something…which I cannot comprehend. It’s like…there’s an invisible thread pulling me towards her whenever she is around me, and all I want to do is talk to her and get to know her.”

She wanted to add “I just can’t stop thinking about her eyes, and her smile, and well… _ her _ ” but decided to omit this detail.

“Wow, you are in it deep Griffin!”

“Shut up Bell. At max it’s curiosity. Consider me…intrigued?”  _ Right. Intrigued. _

“Ummkay”, Bellamy didn’t seem to believe her at all. He added “But Clarke. Just be careful? I mean, it’s not any other grounder. It’s their Commander. I know you rule with your heart on your sleeve but anything that has to do with their Commander can fuck up our mission.”

Clarke knew Bellamy wasn’t wrong. She knew that despite all their leg-pulling, Raven and Octavia would too voice the same concerns if she ever got  _ close _ with Lexa. The mortal universe was in danger – it had been in danger since what the grounders called  _ praimfaya _ – the nuclear apocalypse.

As opposed to what the people on Earth believed, the apocalypse wasn’t the be-all and end-all of the century. Certain events took place during the apocalypse which proved detrimental as to who survived it.

Events which witnessed loss, pain and agony. Events which triggered further events and weren’t complete. Yet.

The Erisites were certain that the time had come for them to be complete. Lexa winning the conclave as soon as Clarke won the Troust to obtain the mark, couldn’t be a coincidence.

To say that Lexa played an important part in the task at hand would be an understatement. And Clarke would be the last person to do something to jeopardise it. She couldn’t afford to develop feelings for Lexa, and if she did (which isn’t impossible given her current…fascination), she couldn’t act on it.

Anything casual like a fling was out of the question – not because Clarke didn’t do them, but because she couldn’t somehow imagine doing anything with the brunette which didn’t involve a hundred percent of her heart. If friendship is something she could afford for now, friendship it will be - if Lexa wanted that, of course.

“I know, I won’t let anything fuck up our mission. There’s too much at stake”, she reassured Bellamy.

Bellamy seemed satisfied with her answer. He had taken upon himself to warn Clarke about what could compromise their quests.  _ Especially _ the ones which could end up in a heartbreak. Not just because their missions were  _ really  _ important to say the least, but also because he had been there along with Raven and Octavia, for Clarke when she was going through the infamous ‘Finn-debacle’.

Bellamy knew she had made peace with it now, but hated what she had to go through. If it meant he had to be over protective in warning her just so nothing of that sorts happens again, then so be it. In fact, he was called the “shielding brother” of the group just because of his cautious nature towards Octavia, Clarke and Raven.

He knew Clarke had the heart of gold, and no mortal he’d met could  _ literally  _ commensurate Clarke’s magnanimity. He hoped one day she would find someone equally selfless and giving as Clarke was.

They moved on to discuss the state of affairs. Bellamy informed Clarke that things were fine for now. Except for one thing. Their radar had intercepted static noise coming from Arcadia.

“You’re telling me they’re conversing with someone outside their gates?”

“Yes, which is weird. They chose to remain closed off. Not to mention only the Commander and her closest confidantes are allowed communication devices like radios or cell phones among the grounders. Moreover, the council told us that Lexa has been trying to contact them since quite some time now. Either Lexa and her advisors are lying or they aren’t the only ones with communication devices.”

Clarke considered this for a moment. “I don’t see any reason why they’d lie about their connection with the Arcadians. The council members are pretty sure about Lexa and her generals being unable to contact them so far, and I am sure we can trust their word. That either means there are grounders in possession of communication devices unbeknownst to the Commander, or…”

“Or there are traitors within her own group of confidantes”, Bellamy completed the sentence for her. Both of them hoped it wasn’t the latter.

“I want a list of Lexa’s confidantes who are in possession of any communication device. I suppose Raven is already working on intercepting more signals?”

“Yes, and she says we should soon find out which place they are contacting. You don’t think they’re in touch with someone who’s…not a grounder?”

“It’s a possibility. We don’t know what kind of mortals are planning their attack, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve contacted the Arcadians already, and have them on their side. But I would wait for Raven first. Then we decide. If it’s a skykru-grounder thing, then we won’t meddle. But if it’s an extra-terrestrial thing, then that’ll be our cue.”

Bellamy sighed as he said, “I know we’ve come here for a mission, but I am kind of not keen on fighting an extra-terrestrial war right away. I hope this is local, this should give us more time to prepare.”

“I don’t know, Bell. Local wars can be a nuisance too. But you’re right about needing time though.”

They both knew they weren’t only talking about training their warriors. A bigger task was training the grounders. 

They would first need to convince them about a war looming above their heads, that could end all species. Which was more difficult – convincing them or training them, only time would tell. 

Clarke certainly wished she could inform Lexa right away, but they couldn’t, not until they received a sign of non-earthly mortal activity, or a message from the Supreme, whichever came first.

“Anyway, keep me updated. And get that list”, said Clarke. Bellamy nodded as they walked towards the training arena.

The rest of the day passed rather quickly for Clarke. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited to meet Lexa and study together in the library. In fact, when she wasn’t thinking about the Erisites’ issues at hand, or training, thoughts of being so close to Lexa preoccupied her mind. 

No one had intrigued her so much before, and she had an inkling it would be very difficult to be friends with the brunette. Especially if she kept thinking about the perfect kissable lips the green-eyed goddess adorned. Especially after she decided she would gauge her in hand-to-hand combat starting next morning.  _ Ugh, Lexa and her Supreme blessed body. _

At around 8 pm she was sitting right outside the library. The guards at the Polis tower said that they were expecting her. The Heda had asked them to lead her to the library. As soon as she sat in one of the comfortable couches outside the library gates, an old woman with a warm smile approached and greeted her.

“Hi, I am Mara. You must be Clarke kom Floukru. Will you have something to drink? Or eat? Heda will join you here. She has asked us to make sure you’re comfortable.”

Something melted inside the blonde’s heart hearing that. She stood up and smiled as she said “Oh, thank you Mara, really. I am fine though.”

The woman was slightly taken aback by the blonde’s answer. “Oh don’t be shy. Heda wouldn’t be very happy if I told her I failed to treat her guest well”, the woman insisted.

Clarke got the impression that the woman in front of her won’t give up. She said “Uh, I’ll take some water, thank you”, she said shyly.

“Water, really? Who asks for water when you can literally have any delicacy Polis has to offer?” They both turned to see a tall woman approach them, with eyes fixed on blue ones. She was barely a few years older than Clarke. She had light brown hair and was twirling a dagger in her hands. 

One glance at her and Clarke could tell this woman was a warrior. Her gait and the way she played with the dagger would have intimidated any grounder. Clarke knew this very well and she couldn’t deny that she was impressed. 

Maintaining the same passive posture she had come to master, she smiled and politely said “I am not exactly hungry.” The blonde wasn’t sure if they would be offended if she told them she had had her dinner already, so she skipped that part.

Clarke didn’t know what to expect, and it’s not like she had dinner plans with Lexa. Since it was 8 pm and she didn’t know for how long their discussion would go on, she already ate something before she arrived.

The taller woman seemed amused by her answer, while Mara still had a mild surprised expression on her face. The old woman nodded at them before walking away. She said it was to get water for Clarke, but the blonde swore it had more to do with the intimidating woman now standing in front of her.

“Your loss then. And you’re here because...?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

“I am Lexa’s classmate. We are supposed to work on an assignment together.”

The woman took a step forward, dagger still in her hand as she said, “First of all blondie, it’s Heda. You cannot, and will not address her by her name outside the college. Got it?” 

Clarke could only nod to that.  _ Fair enough. _

“Secondly, step a toe out of line and I’ll make sure to wrench that toe hard enough to slice your leg apart before Gustus over there gets to you”, she said, nodding towards a tall figure the entire college was aware of by now. 

Gustus was standing right outside the gates of the ground floor of the tower Lexa was supposed to be in. He was looking at her with the same look of disgust in his face. Clarke wondered if she had done something to tick him off. Or maybe he was permanently like that.

Clarke again nodded and the woman seemed to be pleased with her threat and smirked, “I am Anya by the way.”

Clarke would have been normally amused by the threat but the way Anya delivered it earned the blonde’s respect. Luna had told her that Lexa was her former seken and she could sense that Anya deeply cared for the brunette.

She extended her hand as she said “I am Clarke. Clarke Griffin.”

Anya’s smirk remained where it was. She didn’t even look at the offered hand as she started walking away and said, “Don’t give me a reason to remember your name blondie”.

Clarke smiled and shook her head as she muttered to herself “Found your soulmate Raven Rayes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo it's gonna get a little hectic for me now but I'll keep writing. The updates may take a tad longer though. Let me know your thoughts about this chapter? I love to read your comments!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clexa start working on their assignment!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the hits!

As soon as Mara retreated, having served Clarke a glass of water, the blonde looked around. She had never visited the Polis tower personally, but could see what the fuss was about. 

No wonder Luna had been so wistful in expressing her desire to formally introduce the Chancellor to their Heda. Polis was mesmerising, and the official tower where all the political discussions and celebrations took place, was simply marvellous. The skyscraper had survived the bombs and Clarke was itching to touch this piece of history up close. She was sure the old-world designs on the walls and ceilings inside would be breath-taking.

The Erisites didn’t have the chance of _exploring_. In the urgency of meeting the council members, when they had walked past the swarm of butterflies in the forests, without being able to afford a second glance but mesmerised nonetheless, Octavia had exclaimed, “It’s like walking past Mona Lisa without even acknowledging the masterpiece”.

“Oh no, if I ever get to witness the Mona Lisa I would drop the mission if that’s what it’ll take for me to observe that piece of art”, Clarke had joked.

It’s not like they had never been to other planets with their own beautiful creatures, paintings, artifacts and so on. But Earth had been the only one they had read about, watched the videos of their ancestors from the Ark in space, explored the uncountable number of the so called “old world” books which had been preserved by the Ark station in the form of e-libraries. The Erisites’ ancestors had taken all the copies before they separated from the Ark. 

In fact, their ancestors had made sure they even learned the same tales and folk lairs growing up. So, to actually be able to visit the place and feel the beauty, which they had only heard tales about, or watched videos of, was another experience altogether. 

She was brought out of her musings by a familiar sound “Clarke! I hope you had no troubles in finding your way here?”

She looked around to see the brunette dressed in a casual attire. The green-eyed goddess adorned a simple flannel top with sleeves rolled up, and jeans with matching boots. “Those legs will be the end of me”, she thought to herself. 

Lexa’s hair was no longer braided and Clarke swore she had _never_ seen such a beautiful woman in her life. She knew Lexa must have changed her clothes to get into something more comfortable after her meeting. _A little help here, Supreme?_

Lexa could see the blonde’s eyes subtly roaming up and down her body. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t taken some time extra to decide what to wear for the very first discussion on their assignment with Clarke. 

It was the first time she was meeting her outside college, and the very thought made her heart flutter. If she were being honest, she was a little nervous about the blonde’s reaction. This was practically her home, and she knew that Clarke had never been to the Polis tower. She had made sure to ask Mara to provide her with whatever the blonde needed. “I do it for all my guests”, she reasoned with herself. 

The fact that she was thinking about her discussion with Clarke, in between meetings, didn’t settle well with her. She was never the one to get distracted, no matter how boring the meetings were. But she couldn’t help her mind drifting to those beautiful blue eyes. 

Her stoic demeanor had slipped during one of the debates between two clan leaders on the quantity of wheat to be harvested this year. She was thinking about whether she should show Clarke around once she comes to the tower. 

It was then Titus looked at her and asked her if something was up, with a worried expression. That gave her the answer to her predicament before she shifted back to her stoic self. 

For Titus, this mask of Heda was who Lexa was. Lexa herself had blurred the boundaries separating the dutiful Commander from Lexa, until a certain pair of blue eyes showed up. “Engaging with her will surely give me an identity crisis someday”, she mused in another of the debates over dry fish.

Clarke seemed to come out of her stupor (which Lexa would have noticed if she were herself not busy checking out the blonde) as she replied, “Oh, hi Lexa! This place is…huge. But I was able to find my way to the tower’s library. I must say, it is spectacular.”

Lexa's chest puffed up slightly upon hearing that. She noticed Clarke was holding a glass of water. She asked, “Please tell me that’s because your mouth is dry from Mara’s beef roast?”

Clarke looked at her own hand as she sheepishly replied “Uh, sorry. I meant no offence but I am not particularly hungry. I didn’t know how long our discussion would take so I munched something earlier”.

Lexa raised her eyebrows at the apologetic blonde. When she got to know she would be pairing up with someone for her assignment, she knew that they would jump at this opportunity and indulge in all the luxury that the opportunity of visiting the Polis tower, as Lexa’s guest, entailed. 

In fact, most of her classmates were desperately wishing to partner up with her just so they could hog the delicacies cooked by the best chefs across the clans, drink the finest wine, and accidently bump into the famous clan leaders and generals they had only heard stories of. 

Some rich classmates even wanted to ‘maintain connections’ while they were visiting, given that you could find any politically powerful person at the Polis tower sometime or the other.

Few of her classmates were themselves clan representatives or ambassadors who were pursuing higher studies after graduating from school, to learn politics, law and so on. Even they wouldn’t mind spending extra time buttering their Heda. 

In fact, all the clan leaders and ambassadors in general, particularly looked forward to the meetings and fests in Polis with the Heda, just so they could enjoy all these luxuries in addition to the comforts of their deluxe bedrooms in which they stayed. 

Titus had engrained in Lexa how everyone would want to take advantage of her position, and that she should be weary of everyone. Especially her classmates, now that they would be visiting Lexa for assignments and group studies, and god knows everyone itched for some personal time with the Commander. Most of them were disappointed when Clarke was the one who got paired up with her.

Lexa didn’t know what to expect from Clarke. She couldn’t pull down her walls just because she was… intrigued by the blonde. In fact, she was compelled to build them even higher for the same reason. She wondered if it was even possible to be unguarded, ever. This didn’t mean she didn’t hope Clarke wouldn’t be one of those opportunists.

“I see. Feel free to ask Mara anything you want. My guests are treated with utmost respect”, she replied, earning a smiling nod from Clarke. _God that smile._

She led them inside the library. The library was humongous. As the Chancellor walked past the ‘old world’ section, she couldn’t help but recall her conversation with Octavia about the Mona Lisa. She calmed her frantically beating heart that wanted to touch the first copies of the books she had either heard about, or read from their e-libraries.

Looking around, Clarke sensed that the people inside were elite individuals. She recognised a few of the students from the college who were in their warrior dresses now. Others seemed very affluent, judging by their clothes.

The council had provided the Erisites with everything Earthly, which included basic necessities like food. They had asked the Chancellor to let them know if they needed anything else. Clarke had expressed her gratitude- she knew arranging everything without raising suspicion was a big deal. 

There was just one problem, she couldn't repay them even if the Council let her.

“Chancellor, what you are offering is either banned or hasn’t been invented yet. Moreover, you are helping us save our planet. Do you really think we expect you to repay us?” Luna had commented, rather offended. She added, “As Heda is our Commander, I think only she is in the position to accept or decline any gifts you offer us, when you _officially_ meet her. ”

“Oh I am sure Clarke is dying to shower her with all her _gifts_ ”, Raven had muttered low enough only for the blonde and Octavia to hear, emphasising the last word.

Ignoring Raven, Clarke thanked Luna again. The council had asked her to simply demand whatever they needed, but Clarke was very adamant on only asking what they absolutely needed. Not just because the council was putting in extra efforts in arranging stuff given the secrecy, but she was against taking advantage of someone in any capacity. 

As a consequence, everything _Earthly_ the trio owned - including the currency, was equivalent to what a middle class Polis citizen would have. Even Raven, who designed their clothes, made sure she didn’t make anything fancy, which could draw attention.

Clarke and Lexa were presently seated near the Science section. If they were both nervous, no one could tell. Well, at least for Lexa.

Clarke had mastered a passive body language so she appeared a tad nervous all the time. But this was the first time she had to put up the least pretense. _Boy, those arms_. Nope, not happening. Focus.

“So, these are the sums we need to solve. Should we solve them together, or split the problems to save time?” Clarke asked politely.

“I think we should work on them together. I mean, solve and cross check, so that we can verify with each other. This way, I can also learn a thing or two from you”, Lexa replied with a hint of a smile present.

“That’s a good idea”, Clarke replied not even trying to ‘not smile’, which she was slowly realising Lexa did a lot.

They started working on the first couple of questions. Clarke could feel that Lexa really enjoyed the subject.

“You seem to like Mathematics. Now that’s something you don’t see on a daily basis”, Clarke said, with amusement in her eyes.

“It’s one of my favourite subjects. My teacher was really good when we were preparing for the conclave. I was looking forward to studying it further”, Lexa said, not lifting her head.

“Right. You studied with natblidas.”

“Hmm”, Lexa said, scribbling off what she had written, and Clarke thought she shouldn’t disturb her anymore. “Remember she can demand your head anytime Clarke”, Octavia had warned her playfully before she left her camp.

It was Lexa who spoke next, lifting her head, “You don’t seem so disinclined yourself”.

Clarke thought she caught a hint of curiosity in Lexa’s eyes. The same curiosity Lexa always had whenever she spoke to the blonde in the past limited interactions.

“Oh, yes. I am okay with it”, she casually shrugged and the curiosity in the brunette’s eyes changed to amusement before she dipped her head into the problem set. _Someone’s a woman of few words._

Clarke had studied Mathematics back when she was at school, but she had yet to get habituated with the constants and formulae they were currently studying on Earth. 

What they started studying here was more or less what they would study at the college level back in Eris after school, but with different constants and formulae, like regarding the mass and pressure levels of Eris. She was still getting used to the techniques taught in Polis university, but she knew it wouldn’t take long. She was no Math genius like Raven Rayes, but she could very well handle the subject.

That is, if she could concentrate.

Studying with Lexa was proving more difficult than what she had anticipated. From the brunette’s fingers deftly shuffling the pages, to her fingers playing with the pen when she struggled with a particular sum. 

This. Wasn’t. Easy. After Clarke felt herself gulp, she internally chastised herself, “Quit staring at her fingers”.

She lifted her eyes to find Lexa scrunching her nose while tilting her head and Clarke found it so adorable that she decided it would be better to just not look at the brunette seated in front of her at all. She started looking around to suppress the tingly feeling in her stomach. 

But what could she do about the scent? Lexa smelled like a mixture of lilies and how the earth smelt when Clarke first experienced its rain. Her head seemed to subconsciously pull itself towards the scent again and she felt heat building up her ears and cheeks. Lexa’s top was now slightly dipped, just enough to reveal her cleavage. She averted her eyes so fast she almost got a head rush, while gripping whatever stationary was infront of her really hard. 

Lexa felt the commotion and looked at a very red blonde in front of her with raised eyebrows. Thankfully, someone approached them to put Clarke out of her misery.

“Heda.”

They looked to their right as Lexa replied, “Merwin.”

Standing in front of them was a tall, middle aged man with tattoos on his arms. Clarke recognised those and immediately knew he belonged to the Boudalan kru, or the Rock Line clan. He seemed to be dressed in a very refined manner, and like most of the others in the library, Clarke knew this man was politically powerful.

“I hope all’s well? Our representative told me you have approved the construction of our trade route to Floukru. I saw you and I thought I should personally thank you.”

“It was the sensible thing to do”, she replied, with a stoic face. “Is this why Clarke’s behaving this way? Does she want me to introduce her to Merwin?”, she pondered. 

Maybe Clarke was here to build up her own personal connections after all. She felt a tinge of disappointment as she said, “Clarke, meet Merwin. He’s the clan leader of Boudalan kru. Merwin, this is Clarke kom Floukru. She is my classmate and is very interested in art and healing.” 

Clarke had recovered from her flushed state caused by the sight of Lexa’s cleavage by then. She didn’t understand why Lexa was introducing her to Merwin and least of all, why she told him about Clarke’s interest in art and healing. 

It was then Merwin extended his hand towards Clarke. Lexa and Merwin knew what came next - Clarke would get up, exchange a handshake and tell him how much she had heard about him. He would then offer to keep her in mind or help her out in whatever fields she was interested in- apparently art and medicine, in order to come in Heda’s good books.

Lexa saw Clarke look towards his hand, give him the smile that seemed to just come so naturally to the blonde, stand up and shake his hand. Knowing what was coming next, Lexa started reading her next sum, only to find the blonde plump down again in front of her. 

Not really believing it, she looked towards Clarke with the most surprised expression her stoic face could afford. At least she was doing better than Merwin. He was simply standing there with his mouth agape, as if struggling to come to terms with what just happened. 

Clarke felt like she was missing something. “Did I somehow offend them?” she thought to herself, recalling all the polite grounder gestures the council had taught them.

Merwin quickly recovered as he said “Any acquaintance of Heda’s is a friend of ours. It’s because of her”, he flatteringly smiled at Lexa who was still staring at Clarke, “that we can start another trade route to Floukru. Since you’re from Floukru I am sure I can help you out with whatever you need, since my traders will visit your clan more often”. He again gave a sheepish smile towards Lexa, clearly trying to butter her up.

Lexa didn’t expect him to just jump to the point so quickly, without even asking the blonde more about her field of interest and anything in particular she might need help with. 

Normally, people would jump at the opportunity and demand what favours they needed. This had happened with each one of Lexa’s acquaintances, whoever got the chance to meet someone influential. 

Especially the ones she slept with. All the clan leaders and flourishing businesses were more than happy to please the ones who Lexa bedded, in order to appease the Heda, and every single woman accepted whatever those people offered. 

But this blue-eyed mystery in front of her simply smiled and said, “Oh, thank you, really. I am fine though”. 

Merwin looked at Heda with the similar surprised expression, and Lexa pulled up her stoic mask again as she nodded at him, letting him know that the conversation was over.

After Merwin left, Lexa just had to ask “Why did you do that?”

She saw Clarke’s brows furrowed in confusion as she asked “I...don’t really understand.”

“He is a _clan leader_ Clarke. He offered you anything you can ask for”, Lexa said with her raised eyebrows.

Okay, Clarke was really missing the point here. She said “Yeah… that was...very nice of him”, she said, not knowing what else to say. 

It’s not like she had everything back in her camp. Things could certainly be made more comfortable with additional earthly luxuries - food and drinks to begin with, and Supreme knows she dearly missed her art supplies back in Eris. How could she have brought them here when she was the one to give them a speech about traveling light and only taking what’s necessary for the mission?

But the idea of taking advantage of Lexa’s position this way was blasphemous and repellent, so much so that she didn’t even think that this is exactly what Merwin and Lexa were expecting. 

Lexa couldn’t help but feel impressed, to say the least. The blonde seemed to have no trace of malign as she stared at her with an innocent face, as if trying to make sense of what exactly was Lexa hinting at. She spoke directly this time.

“Why didn’t you ask for something? I am sure he could have helped you out with anything you or your friends and family need.”

Something seemed to click inside the blonde’s mind before she replied with an amused expression, “But I haven’t really done anything to deserve his kindness. I mean, just because I am your classmate doing an assignment with you doesn't mean I’ll hoard up favours from random strangers, without repaying them. It’s very...unethical”, she said like it was the easiest thing in the world to understand.

Lexa stared at her with an unreadable expression, as if thinking really hard.

“Please tell me you’re trying to mentally calculate the answer to the 5th problem, cause I have no idea how to go about it”, the blonde smirked before she started scribbling a formula.

That brought Lexa out of her contemplation. She mentally rolled her eyes and shook her head before she started working on the assignment. 

Clarke caught a glimpse of a smile embellishing the brunette’s lips before Lexa hid it behind the books. If Merwin, or anyone else, could offer her _this_ sight, she’d shamelessly grab it, ethics be damned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love reading your comments! Lemme know what you think.


	13. Chapter 13

Clarke and Lexa started spending their evenings together for their assignment. Lexa realised she liked Clarke’s company more than she imagined. The blonde was very humble and on one evening, when they didn’t realise that it was quite late, Lexa had to actually play her Commander card to make the blonde have dinner at the tower itself. 

Once she took her to the dining space, she noticed that the blue-eyed mystery was more interested in the artifacts and paintings around rather than the people, just like the library. It was getting clearer to Lexa that Clarke was hardly interested in the pomp and show of the tower, which attracted the richest of people across the clans. 

The blonde seemed more interested in knowing nuances of the history of the colossal structure the tower was. When they were seated in the hall, Mara approached them and before she could say anything, Clarke spoke.

“Hi Mara! How are you?”

Mara was a little taken aback and Lexa knew the reason why. Out of all the guests Lexa had, no one ever bothered to remember Mara’s name, let alone be interested in knowing how she was. And judging by the way Clarke was smiling at her with curious eyes, she knew that the blonde was genuinely interested. 

Mara was just a cook, but Lexa treated her with high regard. In fact, she made sure she remembered the names of all her domestic help who worked at the Polis tower, and made sure they were being treated right. However, she knew there was only so much she could do when a clan leader, say, looked down upon them. 

At Mara’s surprised look, Lexa wanted to say, “Join the club”. She slightly smiled at how the blonde was packed with mystery, and as much as she didn’t want to, Lexa found herself loving every bit of it. 

She couldn’t recall the last time she had felt so light in someone’s company, and to her surprise, peaceful. In fact, it was only after she spent time with Clarke she realised how guarded she usually was. 

She also noticed that the blonde only wore baggy clothes which covered most of her body. She could see that Clarke was slim and possibly had curves, but it was hard to make out. 

Once, she caught a glimpse of her forearms when her sleeves were slightly pulled up, and to her surprise they were very _muscular._ The kind of muscles which develop after years of intense training. 

She asked her about it and the blonde pulled down her sleeves while commenting something on the lines of being genetically gifted, and genetics helping her out with the gym. This was not surprising to Lexa as she had herself seen genetics and heredity play a huge role in shaping muscles of a person. If the parents were stronger and well built, it took the child little effort to build muscles. 

This happened especially with the children of Trikru warriors, who were probably among the strongest ones. But to have such kind of forearms, the blonde’s parents must have been in _real_ great shape. And judging by Clarke’s features, they must have looked _heavenly_.

She also noticed a simple, yet elegant tattoo covering Clarke’s knuckles and her fingers of her left arm. It was an intricate design of a tree. Knowing how all of her own tattoos all stood for something, she wanted to ask Clarke if the same was the case with her. 

She was curious to know the story behind it, if it was the case. But she had already asked Clarke about her muscles and she didn’t want the blonde to know that she’d been observing her hands and her fingers so she let it slide. 

Tattoos were personal to her anyway, and one hardly spoke about their tattoos to strangers. She didn't want to put the blonde in an awkward position.

When they ate, Lexa noted that Clarke. Could. Eat. 

Moreover, the blonde really enjoyed eating. The moan that escaped from her throat after she tasted the vegetable curry did ungodly things to Lexa. To hide her blushing cheeks, the brunette dipped her head so low that her forehead almost touched the hot boiling soup she was having. 

She had to repeat to herself “You’re the commander of 12 clans” at least 5 times to get over the embarrassment that came after realising the silliness of her actions.

The past few days had been really enjoyable for Clarke as well. It felt exhilarating to get to know Lexa-Lexa, and not the Commander-of-the-12-clans-Lexa, for a change. 

She felt that Lexa’s eyes spoke a great deal. They had a spark when Lexa solved a sum, showing her excitement. When Lexa questioned her about something personal, like the muscles on her forearms, those green eyes had a curious glow. Sometimes, they were amused. 

But none of it was reflected when they met someone or when she spoke to other people. She had an air of authority and a stoic mask to go with it, which made her look very...commanding, for the lack of a better word. Oh, and of course, _hot._

Clarke couldn’t help but feel guilty about lying to Lexa. She knew she was doing it for the mission but she couldn’t help it. 

She could see that she’d be spending more time with her, now with the assignment and all, and their conversations were bordering personal now. 

Like what story would she need to cook up when Lexa asked her about the Supreme’s mark on her knuckles? She already felt bad about crediting her lineage when it came to the muscles on her forearms. But what else could she say? “Oh, I am from another planet in which I have been training since years to win the Troust - one of the fiercest of challenges, and yeah, I may be the strongest mortal in the known universe”?

Clarke felt guilty that the friendship that was definitely building up was based on lies. It didn’t matter that she lied only when absolutely necessary - when her childhood was brought up for example. To her, these were big lies. 

Doing so in other missions hadn’t affected her so much, but she found herself caring about her budding relationship - call it friendship - with the green eyed beauty. 

She made sure everything else about her- like her interests - was conveyed in pure and genuine truth.

The blonde had taken to helping clean the training field of Advanced Physical Combat (APC) class in the mornings. She wanted to gauge Lexa’s training in hand-to-hand combat. She wanted to keep a track of the brunette’s stances and training lessons.

Lexa was...splendid, to say the least. She was mesmerised by her fighting technique and could see what Octavia was gushing about. The brunette was undoubtedly the strongest grounder Clarke had come across.

But it wasn’t the strength which impressed her the most, it was her agility. The way Lexa preconceived her opponent’s moves and swiftly deflected them was commendable. Anya was a great trainer and she could see that none of their classmates stood a chance against these two. 

Clarke took a mental note of Lexa’s stances which the blonde thought could be improved. She altered between cleaning the training field and spending time in the library, in the mornings. When she was in the library, she jotted down notes about what additional training the brunette would require in the future. 

She _tried_ not thinking about the sweat dripping on the brunette’s neck, and all other places which made her go “fuck me”.

As much as Lexa didn’t want to admit, she felt butterflies in her stomach when she got to know that Clarke would be helping with cleaning the training ground in the mornings. Training was something very intimate to her, and she started paying extra attention to her moves when she saw that Clarke was watching her. 

She felt the need to impress the blonde, which highly surprised her because she had never wanted to do so, in front of anyone earlier. She was very confident and aware of her capabilities and never felt the need to show them off to anyone. 

But everything was proving to be so different when it involved certain blue eyes.

Presently, she was training with Anya. She shared the APC class with Lincoln, Drax and Minerva. Drax and Minerva were warriors in her army, and in their final year of college.

“You’re doing good, but we need to work on your leg movement. I’ll attack you, and you either dodge me, or take the fall. Do not use your hands. Okay?” Anya asked Lexa half an hour into their training. 

The brunette nodded and took her position. She successfully dodged the first two blows but Anya took her by surprise on the third. Rather than taking the fall like Anya had asked her, she used her hands to counter Anya’s strike. 

“Oomf”, Anya managed to hold her ground, and then looked at her incredulously.

“What are you doing? I specifically asked you to only use your legs”, Anya asked with an... amused expression.

“I just… it was a reflex action”, she defended.

“Uh huh. Or has it got to do with not taking a fall in front of Blondie over there?” Anya smirked, pointing her head towards Clarke who was intently looking at her with a sparkle in her eyes, the training equipment which she was supposed to be cleaning, all forgotten. _Totally worth it._

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Lexa lied. She had been Anya’s seken since a long time and her mentor had become a sister like figure to her. 

Anya was one of those few people who had a free reign to speak with Lexa in any manner they wanted to. The brunette swore Anya treated her like a _goufa_ (child) at times, and had no qualms about it. 

Anya had come to know Lexa really well- better than anyone around her. She could literally smell it in her bones when the brunette was lying and sadly, this time was no different.

Anya narrowed her eyes and Lexa wanted to dig a 6 feet hole for her grave after what her mentor did next.

“Blondie!” she shouted, looking over her shoulder, straight at Clarke.

“No, no, no. Anya!!” the brunette hissed low enough for only her mentor to hear. All her other classmates stopped training among themselves when they heard the scary trainer shout. But they quickly got back to it again, upon receiving an even scarier glare from their Heda, clearly asking them to mind their own business.

Clarke was broken out of her stupor caused by Lexa’s movements the moment Anya called her. The thought of having been caught staring embarrassed her.

Anya looked at her with the kind of glare which reminded her of Supreme’s artificial eyelets, and gestured to come over to where they were training. _Okay, what have I gotten myself into._

When she walked over, she could see a very red Lexa, possibly from the training, throwing daggers at Anya, which her mentor didn’t seem to care about.

“Okay Blondie, because you have been watching our training _rather closely",_ she emphasised the last two words and Clarke felt like finding a cliff to jump from, “I should tell you that we’re going to train legs today. So it is very important and natural to _fall_ ”, Anya looked at Lexa as she emphasised the word, “down when one is unable to block a hand move, to keep a track of our legs’ natural instincts.” 

Clarke didn’t know why Anya was giving her this information, and when she looked over at Lexa for help, the brunette looked everywhere but at her - almost as if wanting to scream “I am not a part of this”.

“Do you understand?” Anya asked, raising her eyebrows.

Clarke nodded with a confused expression. 

“Good. Now you know better than to think less of _anyone_ ”, Anya again looked pointedly at Lexa who was redder than any tomato Clarke had ever seen, “who falls down. Clear?”

“Ye..yeah”, Clarke managed to mumble out, still not understanding the point of the conversation. 

Of course, she wouldn’t think of anyone, and least of all Lexa, to be less of a fighter because they fell down practicing legs. She knew better than that. In fact, she herself wondered why hadn’t Lexa taken the fall instead.

Most importantly, why had Anya called her out of all the people standing outside the training arena - and there were quite a few who had gathered as usual to watch the duo fight - to tell her what she already knew? 

In fact, one needn’t be a trained warrior to know that training in fights included falling down. Had she been so conspicuous with her drooling over the brunette that it made Lexa weird?

Lexa saw a very confused and embarrassed Clarke walking away. She was definitely going to avoid the blonde the rest of the day.

“Anya. I swear to God I’ll murder you when we get to swords”, she glared at her mentor who simply smirked at her as she took her position.

“For that to be possible, you’ll have to work on your legs”, she replied as she attacked, which was successfully blocked this time by the furious brunette.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to know your thoughts!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter along with the last one, so why not post it right away? And thank you for all the hits, kudos and comments!! You guys are amazing!

Clarke started walking back to where her first class would start. She still couldn’t decipher Anya’s behavior at the training grounds but decided not to dwell on it. 

The students enrolled in APC, Beginner level Physical Combat training and Beginner level Archery started retreating back for their classes as well. On her way she caught the sight of a tall, muscular man enveloping his arms around a very familiar lean figure. They were standing in the archery grounds.

When she walked towards them, she saw that the _handsome hunk,_ aka Lincoln, was instructing something about the grip and angle of arrows, to a very pink, but focused Octavia. She looked like she was listening to every word he said, nodding eagerly. 

Clarke grinned at the way Octavia was holding her bow and arrow. This was _far_ from her natural stance - probably further than the distance between Earth and Eris. For starters, she was holding her bow in her left hand whereas she was right-handed. Yes, she was pretty great with her left hand as well, but judging by the way she held her arrow between her middle and the ring finger, Octavia was totally faking it.

When the blonde saw a hint of amusement in her friend’s eyes, she knew Octavia was dying to spill out flaws in Lincoln’s instructions and stances that she knew her friend kept a mental note of. 

Clarke was in for a ride.

“Octavia!”

Both Lincoln and Octavia turned to look at Clarke who was internally shaking with laughter. Lincoln had the usual polite expression on his face. Octavia, on the other hand, looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“Hi Clarke”, Lincoln said.

“Hi! I see you’re teaching my friend here.”

Lincoln gave a sheepish smile as he said, “Yes, I was just returning from my APC class and saw Octavia practicing on my way. I am decent in archery so I asked if I can help her out with something.”

“Um hmm. Very interesting. What a gentleman, right, O?” she asked with mischief in her eyes.

Octavia knew she had been caught red handed, and will probably never hear the end of it. 

“Uh, yes. Linc has been very helpful. Thank you, I’ll definitely work on what you’ve taught me”, she smiled at Lincoln, not wanting him to get any idea about the internal joke between her and her best friend.

“By the way, you’re not a great swimmer either, maybe _Linc_ can also help you with your body-”

“Oookay. That won’t be required. But really, thank you! I’ll see you around Lincoln!” 

Clarke was cut off as a blushing Octavia started dragging her away from a very confused Lincoln.

The blonde erupted with laughter as her friend looked around, only to be further embarrassed by the looks few people were throwing in their direction.

“Clarke!” she hissed at her friend who was inviting curious gazes.

As soon as Clarke controlled herself and started saying something, she broke out in a second round of laughter.

“Okay, okay. Take your time.”

Finally, her blonde friend took pity on her and managed to say something.

“What was that all about?” she asked, amusement still present in her eyes.

“Clearly, I had to tone it down if I am taking beginner lever archery-”

“Clearly.”

She went on, as if she didn’t listen to the blonde interrupting “And Linc-”

“Linc. Yeah.”

“Linc-oln asked me if he could help out. Obviously, I couldn’t say no-”

“Obviously.”

“Because why would I not want to improve my skills? It would’ve looked suspicious, Clarke. I did it for the mission.” Octavia said, her neck still carrying a pinkish tinge.

“For the mission.” Clarke nodded, in a very solemn expression, but her eyes betrayed her. 

Octavia knew that her blonde friend couldn’t wait to tell Raven about it. She jogged ahead of her friend, hoping she would get a different seat than their usual arrangement. 

“BYE”, she said as she didn’t wait for Clarke to comment further, and sprinted towards her class. Clarke chortled at her friend’s behavior and decided to let the matter rest for now, and find Raven who would definitely be mad if she had all the fun without involving her. 

Raven was about to join her shortly, and she’d definitely want to fill her in before entering their class together.

But just when she was just about to exit the field, she sensed an aggressive pair of hands behind her back, owing to her heightened senses. She deftly turned left in time, which was opposite to where those hands were directed at, most probably planning to shove her to the ground. 

She innocuously looked at the bulletin boards far to her left, as if that is what had saved her from the person planning to slam her down - a mere coincidence. This show was necessary as the person wouldn’t have been able to move her even by an inch, let alone slamming her down- even if they had taken her by surprise, hypothetically speaking. 

She had very carefully settled into her Floukru character, and had a reputation to maintain. She could definitely not let her born-for-combat body instincts betray that.

She feigned a surprised expression when the person unceremoniously fell forward- his face hitting the ground, as Clarke moved away from his line of attack. 

“Quint”, she sighed internally. “Not again”, she mumbled to herself.

The field was almost cleared out now. Clarke thought he must have waited for this opportunity ever since he spotted her on the field. Quint was in the Physical Combat class for beginners and must have jumped at the opportunity when Octavia left.

Quint was expecting to slam the blonde’s body against the ground, and was now furious when his hands met nothing but the dust. He quickly got up and clapped off his muddy hands.

“You really thought I’d do nothing after that little stunt of yours?” he had his evil smirk on, obviously refusing to give Clarke any credit of what happened a few seconds ago.

“You mean stepping in when you were _bullying_ Atom? Quint, hurting others for no reason is really not okay.” Clarke politely replied, trying to talk some sense into him.

But what can one really do about bullies? It was in Clarke's nature to try and find the best in people. According to her, given the right circumstances, most people were capable of changing. In fact, one isn't born evil. This is what experience had taught her - there's always a story. But, it wasn't her place to ask people to talk to her about their life problems.

And while she understood where tendency to harm others, like bullying for example, comes from, she believed it's only the person who can decide if they want to do something about it. If they have already chosen a side, they cannot be forced out of it - unless it comes naturally to them.

“Shut up you weakling!! He did what he wasn’t supposed to. You see Clarke, there are some rules around here. No one goes against me. I think a lesson is overdue.” With that he charged at the blonde. 

Clarke was mentally debating as to what course of action would be the best. Should she take a punch or two just for the sake of pretense? But she knew his punch wouldn’t even leave a bruise which may raise suspicion. 

There were still a few people on the field, retiring for their classes, and clearly not wanting to interrupt and anger Quint. No, she couldn’t let him touch her. 

So she did what she had to - something that can be attributed to the clumsiness of a fighter Quint was. 

She ducked her head, avoiding his attack, moved to her left while keeping her right foot fixed to where it was before. She only had to slightly point it upwards, and as she predicted, Quint saw the blonde move. Not expecting the foot, his own legs got stuck as he tried changing directions, only to fall with his head hitting the ground at the exact angle intended by the Chancellor. 

To an onlooker, it seemed like Clarke tried escaping, but was slow to react, and her foot couldn’t be retracted in time which eventually ended up in her favour. Well, every onlooker except for a particular raven haired girl who was… eating an apple?

“Hi there”, the girl said, eating a large chunk of the fruit and approaching the bonde where Quint laid still, with his face down.

“Raven, I see you have found a substitute for popcorn”, Clarke said, smiling at her friend.

“It’s 8 am Clarke”, she rolled her eyes as she continued, “Thanks for the entertainment though. I swear I was struggling to keep my eyes open”.

In Eris, Raven was the last person Clarke would dare to wake in the morning. Raven Rayes wasn’t a morning person, and her friends knew better than to test the levels of grumpiness she could attain. 

Their school timings were different back at home- it wouldn’t start until noon. But on earth, it was a different story. 

Raven had initially struggled and barely managed to keep her eyes open during the lectures. But she was slowly getting used to it, and the fact that she had started reaching college _before_ their first period started was progress.

“How long?” Raven asked as she stifled a yawn, nodding towards Quint.

“I’ll give it a day or two”, Clarke replied, as they started walking towards their class. 

“Ah. Couldn’t you knock him off in the afternoon?” she asked.

When the blonde raised her eyebrows with an amused expression, she explained herself, “Now the most happening part of my day is already over”.

“Oh I wouldn’t say that”. 

Raven noted a very familiar mischief in her friend’s eyes. With a curious grin, she asked, “Please tell me it’s got to do with Octavia?”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 4k hits!! Thanks guys <3

Lexa made her way to the Math class. She sat next to Costia. This had become her usual spot - in the middle, sharing a bench with Costia. The hazel eyed girl was funny and pleasant to speak with. They shared a lot of classes together and Lexa didn’t mind her company. 

The brunette was aware of Costia’s attempts at flirting, which she received ever so politely. But surprisingly - or not - her mind couldn’t find words to flirt back simply because she wasn’t interested in doing so. 

She couldn’t find the reason why was she not interested in this beautiful woman who clearly liked her. Or maybe she did, but was too scared to admit it. 

Her eyes betrayed her mind and before she could help it, her head turned to glance at the back bench only to catch her favourite pair of blue eyes already staring at her. She smirked at the blush coloring the blonde’s cheek, clearly embarrassed since she was caught staring. 

The blonde rolled her eyes and turned her head to where her friends were bickering about something sitting next to her. This was something that had settled into their routine - both of them stole glances at each other, and most of the time, caught each other's eyes. 

But both were too stubborn to admit to anything other than fascination and curiosity - infatuation at best. 

Costia brought her out of her reverie as she asked “So do you think it’s okay if I have it without him?”

Lexa threw an apologetic look towards her “I am sorry I zoned out for a while. Have what without...?”

Costia playfully shook her head as she said, “A party Lexa. At my place tonight - exclusively for our classmates. We haven’t had any Freshers’ party yet. I thought I’d invite all the first years tonight. I was just wondering if I should still go ahead with it, now that Quint is in the hospital wing. He’s training to be the Trikru clan representative as his father is retiring, and I definitely don’t want to be on his bad side.”

Lexa had begun to despise Quint. Not only was he a bully but according to what she’d seen in the joint combat classes for Advanced and Beginners - he was a dirty and disgraceful fighter, who was just banking on his father to provide him a clan representative’s seat at the Polis Tower. 

Lexa couldn’t indulge in petty politics and stop his nomination, but she was eagerly waiting for him to take up his father’s position, and make one wrong move- which would be evidence enough for her to remove him once and for all.

“I am sure you can go ahead. It’s his fault he’s too arrogant and clumsy in a fight, which must be why he ended up in the hospital wing”, Lexa sighed.

“Okay! I’ll go ahead with it”, Costia said, eager to host a party. Wanting to continue the conversation, she added, “Anyyyway, he didn’t suffer from an injury fighting someone”.

“No?” Lexa said, as she started rummaging through her assignment, going through the questions which she and Clarke had marked the day before, clearly not interested in knowing about Quint’s well being.

“No. He kind of deserved it for being a jerk. I am glad Clarke is okay. What is that old world saying Octavia keeps saying? Umm. Oh yeah - karma is a bitch.”

“What did you just say?” Lexa asked with a piercing gaze.

“Karma is a bitch?” answered Costia, completely oblivious to what had caught Lexa’s full attention. She continued, glad she finally had Heda’s undivided attention, “It’s such a weird sayi-”

She was cut short by Lexa, “No, about Clarke being okay”.

“Oh! Quint apparently attacked Clarke from behind, just as she was turning. As a result, he fell down hilariously only to get back and charge at her again. Clarke tried getting away but was too late. She couldn’t pull her leg back in time, and I don’t blame her - Quint is quite intimidating, but it eventually saved her as Quint stumbled upon it and lost his balance. He fell down and hit his head at an awkward place. Nyko said he should be up and fine by tomorrow. A friend of mine saw it happen at the training grounds.”

Lexa was listening intently to what Costia was saying. Her blood boiled thinking of Quint’s audacity. She thought he would back off, after she intervened the last time. 

She couldn’t believe Clarke’s luck - it was too good to be true, or maybe karma  _ was  _ a bitch. However, she decided not to dwell on it as she abruptly rose from her seat, startling Costia and walked towards the last bench.

A pair of blue eyes turned towards her, as she walked towards the trio.

“Clarke”, she said with an unreadable expression. Well, unreadable to everyone except for Clarke who could write a book titled “50 shades of green”.

Clarke could sense that something was bothering Lexa. She swore she caught a hint of worry in her eyes, mixed with relief and curiosity.  _ Okay, make it more than 50. _

She smiled at the brunette as she greeted, “Hi Lexa! Is everything alright?” She added the last part furrowing her brows a little.

“Can I speak with you”, Lexa said as she quirked her eyebrows at her friends - who weren’t even trying to hide their interest in the conversation, “ _ privately _ ?” Raven and Octavia had the sense to avert their gaze somewhere else, their ears very conspicuously aimed at the conversation.

Clarke didn’t pay any heed to her friends’ theatrics, given the urgency in Lexa’s voice. With a worried expression, she nodded and said, “Of course”, as both of them walked outside the class and stood in a corner that allowed them to see if the teacher entered.

Just as Clarke was about to ask again what was wrong, Lexa spoke,“You never told me that Quint attacked you. Without any reason.” 

Realisation finally dawned on Clarke as she said “Oh! But I am fine Lexa, he didn’t hurt me.”

“Which was a massive coincidence. Don’t you think he would be out for your blood now more than ever? Why can’t you, for once, ask for my help Clarke?” Lexa asked, clearly mad at the bonde.

Clarke sighed as she said, “What would you have done if I had told you Lexa? You can’t be responsible for every bully in the college. Moreover, don’t you think he’d be angrier if I ratted him out to the Heda?”

“Oh I can very well take care of that”, the brunette replied with an expression as if mentally plotting Quint’s murder.

Clarke smiled as she shook her head, “Lexa, whatever he has is against me. It would really look weird if you interfered in a college scuffle”.

Lexa wanted to say it was no ordinary scuffle. Hell, nothing was ordinary when it involved the blonde. But she couldn’t, at least not without confronting a complex set of feelings herself.

Thankfully, Clarke decided to speak before she could struggle to formulate a response.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you care about me Lexa”, Clarke said somewhat flirtatiously, to her own surprise.

Lexa successfully hid the blush on her cheeks as she looked towards the class. She schooled her expression and finally mustered, “I am the Commander, Clarke. Of course I care about my people.”

If Lexa thought she saw a tinge of disappointment in those blue eyes, she chose to not comment on it.

It was then they spotted their teacher, and hurried towards their class. Before Clarke could move away towards her seat, she was caught by Lexa’s firm grip. Both of them forced down the jolt of electricity they felt at the contact.

Lexa seemed to hesitate, as she said, “Just...be careful, okay?”

Clarke loved how soft the brunette’s expression was. Her heart fluttered as she smiled and politely said, “I will.”

After an hour of solving sums and listening to the teacher sing praises about Raven, while Clarke and Octavia either rolled their eyes or muttered “show off”, the bell rang. Naturally, Clarke’s eyes sought to find her favourite green ones, but were met with Costia’s instead. 

She could see Lexa stuffing her notebooks in her bag behind the hazel eyed girl, and just as Clarke was about to cross them, she was stopped by Costia. 

“Hi Clarke!” she said enthusiastically. She thought Lexa paused doing what she was doing for a second before resuming again.

“Hey Costia”, Clarke replied trying to sound equally chirpy. She didn’t know why but she found the girl annoying. For no reason at all.

“I am hosting a party tonight, for all the Freshers’. Wanna come?”

Lexa had finally packed every possible thing on the desk, rearranged her notebooks, and looked at the already empty desk if she’d missed something. When clearly there was nothing else she could do, she stood next to Costia faking nonchalance as if she wasn’t eager to know if Clarke would be coming to the party. 

Costia had obviously invited her and she’d said she would think about it.

Lexa didn’t mind parties, if the company was right. She had always been to, or hosted, fancy parties. She had a couple of acquaintances who were fun to hang out with, and their company proved to be a nice change from her daily life full of responsibilities. 

In fact, she once had a series of one-night stands during the week-long gala thrown by the  Ouskejon Kru (Blue Cliff Clan).

“Did someone say party?” a familiar voice interrupted them as Clarke’s friends approached.

“Ha ha! Yes Octavia. I was just about to ask both of you after I spoke with Clarke”, Costia said.

Clarke chanced a glance towards Lexa who was standing next to Costia. She wanted to know whether the Commander would be coming or not. She would definitely not mind seeing Lexa party. Before she could decide, Raven spoke up.

“Oh donchu worry. We’ll drag her. After all, Party Girl Griffin hasn’t made an appearance in a  _ while  _ now”.

That seemed to amuse Lexa. She hadn’t had a chance to properly speak with Clarke’s friends yet, but she could see herself enjoying their witty bickering, especially when Raven and Octavia ganged up to pull the blonde’s leg.

“Party Girl Griffin?” she asked before she could stop herself.

That seemed to brighten up Raven and Octavia, if that was even possible.

“Oh  _ you _ have to meet her. She’s probably the funnest person you’ll ever have the chance of meeting in your life”, Octavia provided.

“Says the girl who challenged her own brother to dance naked”, Clarke countered.

“Oh please. We were playing truth & dare. I just wanted him to lose”, she replied.

“But he didn’t”, Clarke exchanged a smirk with Raven as Octavia grimaced, “Ugh. Don’t even remind me”.

Both Lexa and Costia watched the exchange with amusement. 

Octavia shook her head to rid her of the images of a very naked Bellamy dancing to a highly erotic song, before she asked “Will you be coming Lexa?” 

That seemed to put the brunette off guard as four pairs of eyes looked at her intently.

“I..uh.. am not so sure.”

“Now come on Lexa! I am sure Clarke would love it if you came”, said Octavia, discreetly wiking at the blonde. The innuendo wasn’t lost on the blonde, who went wide eyed and yelled 

“Octavia!!” 

Of course her friends wouldn’t spare her in front of Lexa. 

Thankfully, no one noticed the brunette blushing greatly as they were all watching a very awkward Clarke admonishing her friends who seemed to have no filter.

“What? Wouldn’t you? Come on Clarkey, be nice”, said Raven with an innocent face, who was having a blast watching her friend turn into a bumbling mess.

With flushed cheeks, Clarke caught Lexa’s eyes, and managed to blurt, “I.. of course. I mean, I would love to watch... fuck, I mean I would love it if you came..as in be there..for the party - Co..Costia’s party, if you could attend.”

Thankfully, Lexa, who had mastered the art of putting up a neutral face, put an end to her misery. 

“I will definitely try to make it. I think I should be done with my work by 7 pm. Is it okay if I am a little late?” she asked Costia, looking at her since she could no longer look at the trio and not feel her face heating up.

“Yes of course!!” Costia replied, clearly excited.

Lexa smiled at them and nodded, her gaze lingering a little longer on reeling blue eyes, as she left the class.

Raven and Octavia hung back, their mouths still agape after having witnessed the disaster their Chancellor was a minute ago.

The blonde glared at them as she hissed, “Don’t”.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you're all waiting for the party, but I had to post a chapter before it. Enjoy!

Clarke would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited for the party at Costia’s. For some _unknown_ reason, she found the girl annoying. But she knew that her friends would be good company. Not just Raven and Octavia - she had recently gelled up pretty well with Roan, Echo, Harper and Nyliah. They were fun to hang out with, and she didn’t mind Nyliah’s not-so-subtle flirting. It seemed harmless, and the girl’s company was pretty enjoyable.

Nyliah had kept her word and showed her around Polis market. It was...vibrant. It reminded her of a painting she once did back in Eris. Speaking of which, Nyliah took her to a humongous shop that sold all kinds of paint brushes and a variety of colours. 

She had decided what she wanted to paint for the art exhibit in the upcoming annual fest, which would celebrate Lexa’s ascension. 

As soon as they entered the store the shopkeeper asked her if she needed shades of a specific colour. Her answer was immediate,

“Green”.

So here she was, dismissing her virtual meeting with the district representatives of Eris, wondering if Lexa would like what she had painted, when Raven knocked on her office door.

“Never seen you knock. What’s up?”

“Well there’s always a first. Especially when I am not very keen on telling you what I found”.

Raven placed her laptop on Clarke’s desk as she continued, “My radar was able to analyse signals transmitted from Arcadia. It seems they’re contacting,” her fingers hovered around the screen, closing and opening multiple tabs. Due to the high tech motion sensors it was like Raven was  _ drawing _ on the screen, until she opened a particular tab with a map where Clarke saw a green dotted line - starting from where Arcadia would be and ending far up north-

“Azgeda”.

Raven looked at Clarke with inquisitive eyes - the blonde seemed to ponder upon the information for a moment.

“Clarke, the only people allowed to use radios and stuff are in Polis.”

“Hmmm”, Clarke’s eyes were still fixed on the screen.

“They are Lexa’s most trusted ones”.

“Hmmm.”

Raven raised her eyebrows at the Chancellor, “What do we do?”

Finally, the blonde lifted her gaze and with an expression familiar to Raven, she replied, “We do nothing.”

If she hadn’t accompanied Clarke in numerous quests and wars, she would've been shocked. But she simply stated, “As much as I would love to party and gawk at Anya’s face, I think this definitely is our business.”

“I saw you steal glances at Anya other when you came to the training fields the other day, but gawking at her? That’s new”, Clarke replied with amusement in her eyes. 

Raven came early in the morning one day, about 10 minutes before the first lecure started, after Clarke relayed Octavia’s theatrics surrounding Lincoln teaching her archery. Raven  _ had  _ to see it with her eyes. 

Something, or rather, someone  _ else _ caught her eyes instead.

“Duh. You did tell me about her but dayum. Her jawline could be the perfect model for my lazer knives. Wait.”

Clarke hid her smirk as she said, “What?”

“We were talking about Azgeda, Clarke! Why did you distract me talking about Ms. Cheekbones?”

“You brought her up”, Clarke shrugged as she started rummaging through her drawers.

“Clarke!”

Sighing, the blonde looked at her friend and said, “Look. This is not why we are here for. This seems to be the Coalition's problem. We don’t even know if it’s a problem right now. For all we know, Lexa might have sent someone to Azgeda and they may have privately established contact with the Skykru”.

“Which seems less likely”.

“Agreed. But all we can do now is wait. If nothing extra- terrestrial is involved, we cannot interfere. Not until we have a signal of some sorts, or the Supreme’s message. Keep this to yourself. And Bell and Octavia.”

Raven was apprehensive but she knew Clarke had thought this through. She nodded as she said, “So now we...”

Clarke smiled at her friend and said,

“Now, my friend, we party.”

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Lexa took her sweet time getting dressed. Luckily, she had no meetings scheduled for the day and her training wrapped up about an hour ago. Anya was in her room sprawled across her bed. 

“You look cheerful.”

“I am always cheerful.”

“You aren’t incapable of joking”, Anya remarked.

Lexa rolled her eyes as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“The top looks good. Goes with your pants.”

Lexa seemed to consider it for a moment, “Not really.”

Anya sat up as she feigned annoyance, “That’s like the eighth outfit you’ve tried. What’s gotten into you? You always go with the first one you find.”

“Because the first one I find is usually good. My wardrobe is a mess today”, the brunette lied.

“Yeah I don’t think it’s got to do anything with the wardrobe”, on receiving no reply from her seken, she continued, “Don’t worry, this will have girls swooning over you.”

“I don’t need to dress up for that”, Lexa replied confidently.

“Oh yes. You’re only aiming for a particular someone”, Anya smirked.

“I am not  _ aiming _ for anyone, Anya”, Lexa replied, trying on a different pair of pants.

“Right. She seems to be  _ pretty _ fond of you by the way”, Anya said, getting up and setting aside the heap of clothes gathered on the bed.

“She isn’t _fond_ of me”, Lexa scoffed, before noticing what Anya had done.

“I was talking about Costia”, Anya’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

Lexa cleared her throat, “Oh. Costia. Right.”

Desperately to change the subject, Lexa said, “How do you even know all of my classmates?”

She already knew the answer, but it was the only thing she could think of asking at such short notice. 

Anya accepted her silent plea to change the topic with a shrug, “I am your general. I assigned your bodyguards Gustus and Ryder, remember? This job is taxing, the party couldn’t have taken place at a better time.”

“Why exactly are you tagging along anyway?” Lexa turned, finally settling for a sleeveless yellow coloured top with contrasting high waist pants.

“Like I said, I am your general. I stick with you whenever I can”, Anya replied. 

“How convenient. Never seen you willingly flank me to my classes.”

“Because if I spend another minute listening to the applications of partial differential equations, I might be too fast asleep to be able to guard you.”

Lexa knew that wasn’t true. Anya was the one handling her warriors and other matters related to her army during the few hours she was in college.

It was the main reason why she felt comfortable in studying at Polis University in the first place - she needn’t worry about trivial issues that can be handled easily if treated with capable hands, and Anya was more than capable and trustworthy. 

Before she could reply, she heard a knock.

“Who is it?” Lexa asked.

One of the warriors guarding her room entered and bowed his head, “Heda. Titus wants to speak with you.”

“Couldn’t let you have one day without seeing his face, could he?” murmured Anya.

Ignoring the comment, she ordered, “Let him enter.”

As soon as the bald figure in question entered, Anya plopped down to Lexa’s bed again.

Titus raised his eyebrows at the general, making a disgusted face. He had made his views very clear to Lexa numerous times - he thought she allowed too much liberty to her former mentor. 

“Heda.”

“Titus. I thought I had a day off from meetings and discussions today.”

“Yes Heda. I am just here since I heard you’re attending a party thrown by your classmate.”

“Yes. Is there a problem?” Lexa asked him, clearly annoyed.

“I just think you are above it. Parties thrown by the clan leaders make sense, but this doesn’t really suit you.”

“Do you think she’s, what, 70?” Anya said, not even looking at him, lying down on the bed and tossing her knife up in the air, only to catch it and toss it again. 

This had Titus fuming, “No, but she’s the Commander. Although, it seems like  _ you _ have forgotten it”, pointing towards the bed Anya was sprawled across.

“I think  _ you  _ have forgotten that she’s a human being. Not everything she does has to be politically beneficial”, said Anya, still playing with the knife.

“Enough”, Lexa commanded, which finally got Anya to stop tossing the knife.

“Titus, I appreciate your concern but I am not going there as the Heda. It’s a party for all the first year students and I too am a student. If you’re concerned about political affiliations then you mustn't forget that few of those students are either already ambassadors, clan representatives or esteemed warriors, or are training for it.”

That seemed to placate him a little, although he still continued.

“I understand that Heda, but..”

“Are you questioning my decision Titus?” Lexa’s jaw clenched as she looked at him with a piercing gaze. 

“Of.. Of course not, Heda. Have a pleasant evening”, he bowed and left the room, clearly not satisfied but unwilling to argue with the Commander.

“So you finally settled on your outfit?” Anya asked as she stood up, not even bothering to acknowledge the discussion with Titus.

“Yes”, Lexa replied, shaking her head.

“Now, my friend, we party.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't proofread since it's quite late, but I simply could not wait. So here's another chapter!

Lexa hadn’t been to Costia’s place but it was exactly how she imagined it to be - humongous. Costia was the sole heir to Green’s farms. Her father had the largest land acre in Trikru, and was the biggest supplier of crops and unfinished goods. 

Name a thing made of wood, and any Trikru would immediately think of Greens. So yes, Costia’s house was lavish. She was immediately greeted by the hazel eyed girl who seemed pretty excited when Lexa entered. 

Lexa was late, and hence everyone was already there and the party was in full swing.

She heard Anya whistle and say “If Titus knew you were visiting Costia Green he would have himself escorted you to this party”.

Mentally rolling her eyes, she smiled as Costia approached.

“Hi Costia. This looks lovely.”

Costia seemed ecstatic, “I am so happy you liked it!”

She missed Anya murmur, “Not apparent at all.”

“I hired the finest caterers today. The wine has been imported from Floukru and the local band is one of the best”, Costia continued rambling like an excited child clearly very eager to please the Heda. 

Lexa tried pretending to be impressed at the glimmer, as she politely said, “How lovely.”

“Come on in! Everyone’s inside. Most of us were dancing.”

She ushered Lexa in, and as she entered, people either bowed their heads or gave polite nods in respect. Lexa wondered if it was because they weren’t sure about the protocol as technically they weren’t in college, or because Lexa was being flanked by the fiercest of generals. 

“This is quite the gathering”, Anya nodded in approval.

Before them, there was a large floor decorated solely for the purpose of dancing. There were sections devoted around it, for all kinds of activities taking place. One section was solely reserved for the band performance, one section for the food stalls and an entire section to a _very_ vibrant bar.

Costia had mentioned that everyone had already arrived. But she couldn't find her favourite pair of blue eyes. 

She wondered if Clarke decided against attending the party. Masking her disappointment, she put up a smile as people started approaching her to exchange greetings and small talks. Small talks that were political in nature, of course. 

Yeah, Titus _would_ be happy.

All the students who were in influential positions, or training to be in one, were clearly elated at the opportunity of partying with Heda with less number of people around. Usually, parties at the Polis Tower were so posh and crowded that one rarely got some time alone with her. 

And now, they not only had a chance to properly speak with her, but also ask her to dance. And Lexa being ever so polite rarely said no to them.

She kept looking around for any signs of blonde hair, but she found none. 

About an hour later, she finally asked Costia, making sure to leave a grumpy Anya hovering about the fruit-salad section, “Are you sure everyone came?”

Costia furrowed her brows in confusion, “Um.. yes Lexa. All our classmates are here.”

Lexa feigned to contemplate, as if thinking hard and slowly nodded.

“Is anyone missing?” Costia asked.

Lexa didn’t know how to grab this opportunity that finally presented itself. She hummed and pretended to think for a while as she said, “Umm.. I don’t know, but the numbers seem less. Oh wait, where are Echo and Roan?” she looked at Costia with a fake concern, and subtly added, “...and Clarke seems to be missing as well.” 

She looked away at the last sentence, finding the designs on the curtains very interesting.

Costia looked around and spotted Echo instantly, “Oh, well - there’s Echo and ummm..”, she looked to her right, finding no difficulty in spotting Roan either, “There’s Roan”. 

Lexa murmured a surprised “Oh”, and mentally kicked herself at not being able to come up with names of people who weren’t … _right fucking there_. Okay maybe, she said the first two names of the people she spotted when she looked around.

“And Clarke, well, she has been playing outside with our puppies since she got here”,Costia said with mild annoyance. “Clarke and her friends came inside, met everyone and right before the wine was served, they saw our dog and her puppies and out they went!! Can you believe them? It’s like they haven’t ever seen dogs!! Raven and Octavia came inside after a while, but Clarke is still out in the lawns.”

Lexa raised her eyebrows in amusement. Costia was clearly offended. Moreover, what was up with the blonde? Right before her was one of the biggest Freshers’ parties anyone could throw, and she was...playing with a puppy? And Octavia and Raven were inside? Why hadn’t she seen them? It was right at this moment, Octavia stepped out of the room where the main bar was, dragging a _very_ drunk Raven. So that’s where they were.

Couldn’t she think of these two names instead of Roan and Echo?

She nodded politely and looked around for the exit to the lawns, making a mental note of it.

After dancing with one of her classmates from the Sociology class, whose name she couldn’t remember, she excused herself. She started moving towards the exit. _Finally._

Costia appeared out of nowhere, clearly concerned, “Lexa! Are you alright? I was… I was kind of hoping you would dance with me next”, she asked sheepishly. Lexa had already danced with the hostess. Twice. 

Costia with two glasses of wine down was _very_ flirty. Not that Lexa was complaining. But she needed some air. And find the one person who she was looking forward to speaking with.

“I am fine, just need some air. And yes, I would be happy to dance with you. Just give me some time?” 

“Oh, sure. I’ll be waiting”, she winked at Lexa and walked away.

Shaking her head, she finally stepped out to find the blonde. _No wait, to get some air._

She caught the glimpse of golden streaks as soon as she set her foot in the lawns. Clarke looked _ethereal._

Lexa swore she hadn’t seen a scenery so beautiful. Clarke, in an ankle-long skirt and a cute blue top that complemented her eyes perfectly, sat among five overly excited puppies and the dog that was clearly their mother. 

The blonde had one of the puppies in her hands, and God, the smile she radiated! Lexa swore she forgot all her burdens for a minute, and felt her lips reflecting the same smile Clarke so beautifully adorned. 

She just stood there, under the night sky full of stars, watching the incredibly gorgeous blonde play with the dogs. Clarke’s eyes were a little moist and all Lexa wanted to do was embrace her tightly. And put that annoyingly pretty hair strand behind her ear. And maybe trace her thumb over those voluptuous… Wait. Nope. Not happening. 

  
  


When she started moving towards them, she almost felt bad for disrupting such an intimate sight.

Clarke turned towards the intruder, expecting Octavia and Raven beckoning her inside. Again.

“I already told you guys...Oh! Lexa! Hi!”, she unceremoniously got up, not expecting the green eyed brunette. She had painfully asked her friends to call her in when Lexa arrived. _Yep. Shall send them back to Eris the first thing in the morning._

Lexa looked, well, stunning. She had either seen her in formal attire or in casual clothes when they worked on their assignment together. 

A dressed-up-for-party Lexa was currently her favourite. She couldn’t help but drift her eyes to the ample amount of cleavage in display. _Why do you do this to me, oh Supreme?_

“You seem to be fond of them”, Lexa amusingly eyed the puppies and their mother, who were clearly unhappy with the diverted attention.

The blonde absentmindedly nodded before she realised what Lexa was talking about. She successfully hid her blushing face as she bent down to play with the puppies again.

Some of them approached Lexa, wagging their tails. Lexa happily petted them, not moving her eyes off Clarke.

“Uh, yeah. I love them! Just look at their eyes! Look how happy they get when you simply rub their bellies”, a very excited Clarke started giving an elated puppy some belly rubs, chuckling at the dog. 

“Yeah, they do enjoy that. Try giving them a piece of meat”, she took in the blonde’s surprise as she said, “but surely you’ve done that before?”

Lexa swore there was absolutely no difference between Clarke’s expression and the puppy’s expression that she was still holding in her arms. _Adorab...Nope._

“Clarke?”

“Huh?”

“You _have_ seen a puppy before, right?” Lexa asked incredulously.

“Uh. Of course I have”, Clarke replied with a nervous laugh, “They are sooo common. Ha ha, why would I not… of course”, she said more to herself, putting a petulant puppy down before she stood straight.

“I… haven’t really played with them before. As in, you know, when they are _soooo_ common you do not pay any heed and it suddenly strikes you what you’ve missed. Umm, what was the old world poem? Yeah. “What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare!” It was just that. I haven’t ever actually stood and stared...at the puppies, you know? I mean…”

“Umm Clarke?” Lexa couldn’t believe how cute the blonde was when she rambled.

“Yeah?”

“Have you had alcohol?”

“Uh, yeah!” Clarke exclaimed. Blame it on alcohol. Even when it’s impossible to get her drunk. Alcohol would be a better excuse than “All we’ve ever had in the name of an animal is Bellamy with a horse’s tail when he mocked the Supreme’s message in front of his eyelets.”

As it was already established that Clarke was slightly drunk, she may as well blame her next sentence on it.

“By the way, you look… incredible tonight”, she genuinely smiled and shyly looked at the sky.

Lexa couldn’t help the blush that spread across her face as she cleared her throat and muttered a quiet “Thank you. You look great too”, obviously to be picked by the blonde.

“As much as I can see how joyous your company is, why aren’t you inside? Didn’t they call you party-girl-Griffin?” she teased.

Clarke _was_ into parties. But the thing was, her idea of partying was quite different than this one. This was too...formal for her taste. She could relate to how the actor in the old world movie called _Titanic_ must have felt dancing among the first-class passengers. Clarke had herself organised such formal diplomatic gatherings but that’s what they were to her. Gatherings. 

A _party_ for her was dancing with a bottle of tequila in hand, playing games with her friends around, and dancing like there’s no tomorrow. So after draining two glasses of wine, when she caught the magical sight of these smushy-little-fur-balls, she couldn’t find it in her to get back in. 

At least not until Lexa came. Which is why she asked Raven and Octavia to … Okay, _inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale._

“Ha ha. I _am_ quite fun, I assure you. It’s just that I unleash this beast in a more…informal setting.” She internally chastised herself, “Unleash the beast? Okay maybe I _am_ drunk.”

“Informal? More informal than this?” Lexa asked with a surprised expression, as if unable to come to terms with the fact that there could be a gathering more informal than the present party.

“CLARKE!! The love of your life is here”, Clarke’s reply was interrupted with a very drunk Raven approaching her along with an annoyed Octavia, clearly unable to see Lexa’s face as the brunette’s back was turned towards them.

“Your darling dearest...muumph”, her mouth was clamped shut by Octavia’s hand, much to Clarke’s relief, as at least one of her friends _finally_ realised who was standing in front of her.

“Uh, she means...” Octavia used her free hand to wrench a thankfully full glass of wine from Raven’s hand, “This. Raven finally got it refilled for you, right Ray?” she removed her hand from her drunk friend’s mouth, now confident that Raven had finally seen Lexa.

“Hell yeah! And now that you have _her,_ you can _finally_ stop cribbing and playing with these oh-my-cute-little-cutush-brutush-folyful...”, and there she went, squatting down to play with the litter of puppies.

“What she means is”, Octavia said, forcefully jerking her friend up before she could further embarrass herself or anyone else, “you can finally get inside. It’s a little cold as well”, she sent an apologetic smile towards the Chancellor, who was face-palming herself, shaking her head.

“Yeah. Let’s do that. I was just telling Lexa why this party is a tad bit more formal than what we’re used to”, she added the last part to casually engage Lexa in the conversation, in the hopes of getting rid of the awkwardness. Oh, how wrong was she.

“Duh. No body shots, to start with!!” Raven was happy to provide.

Raising her eyebrows, Lexa asked, “Body shots?”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Costia saw a very awkward Clarke explaining something to a very red Lexa as the group entered inside. Not wasting any opportunity, she approached the group.

“So. Someone finally came inside”, she asked, clearly annoyed.

“Umm, I am so sorry Costia. I lost the track of time. This is obviously such a great party. Wow, this wine, I swear I haven’t had anything like it before”, she said, taking the sip from her glass that was handed to her a while ago. Thankfully, it _was_ good. _No need to pretend there._

Costia narrowed her eyes. The comment did manage to placate her a little. But what actually put her in a good mood was what Lexa said next.

“Cos, I owe you a dance!”, the Commander charmingly asked for Costia’s hand, in order to divert her fury away from Clarke. 

“Yes of course! Lead the way”, she placed her hand in Lexa’s as the brunette turned towards the group. She nodded and asked them to excuse her. As she left, she caught something in Clarke’s eyes, but she couldn’t find a word for it. She found herself thinking about that expression all the time through the dance, without paying much attention to Costia’s hands that were now gripping her shoulders more intimately than they should be.

Clarke was … irritated. Before becoming the Chancellor, her master had successfully taught her how to handle rage, as no fury in hell could be compared to Clarke’s. 

When the Chancellor got angry, no one could predict what the future would hold. So yes, controlling her anger was the first thing she mastered. She couldn’t afford to get angry, especially at petty little things.

So she allowed herself to feel what she _could_ afford. Annoyance.

Annoyance at how Lexa had asked Costia to dance with her, even though it was to save her from Costia’s wrath. Annoyance at how Costia _always_ sat next to Lexa in classes - like it was her birthright. Annoyance at how she wasn’t even _trying_ to be subtle with roaming her hands all around… No. She shook her head to get rid of what saw in front of her, as she turned towards her friends.

“Before you say anything, we are _very_ sorry. This person here was busy chugging beer & wine when Lexa arrived. And _then_ we got preoccupied when _someone_ was trying to approach Anya in _this_ state”, they ignored Raven as she fondly smiled and muttered “Anya”, as Octavia continued, “The Supreme knows she will kill me with one of her lazer beams tomorrow if I let her make fool of herself in front of General McAngry in this state.”

“It’s fine”, Clarke replied rather sternly.

It didn’t take a genius to realise what was wrong with her best friend.

“Hey, Costia has been bugging her for a dance since she arrived. This is the second or the third time they’re dancing together, out of the innumerable number of times Costia has approached her for it. For what it’s worth, Lexa doesn’t seem too comfortable”, she looked at the pair on the dance floor, “And you know, you too can ask her for a dance”.

Clarke just hummed, not knowing what to reply. After a moment she asked, “Why aren’t you with Lincoln?”

She didn’t miss how her friend’s eyes lit at the mention of Lincoln’s name, “I met him, and we were having a good time. That was _before_ this one thought mixing four different drinks was a good idea. Have been babysitting ever since”, she sighed as she pointed at their raven-haired friend, who was now drooping on Octavia’s shoulders.

Chuckling, she asked, “How’s the food here?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe it”, Octavia replied as the trio started walking towards the food stalls.

“Clarke! Hi Octavia, Raven”, they were greeted by a familiar figure by the fire roasting potatoes.

“Hi Nyliah! Enjoying the party?” Octavia replied, while Clarke smiled and Raven blinked at her like an owl.

“Yeah! This is quite something. I am sure Costia has successfully impressed the Commander”, she said with a smirk, unaware of the blonde’s...discomfort. She continued, “I am sure Titus would find her rather suitable for his precious Heda”, she said without malign, as she propped a piece of potato in her mouth.

Ah. The one who ingrained in Lexa that love was a weakness. Clarke found her dislike for the advisor increase. Was Lexa’s closest advisor so naive, so as to only advise Lexa to align with people who were politically powerful? He appeared to be extremely shallow from what she’d heard so far about him. 

As a Chancellor, she knew how futile it was to rely on someone only because they were wealthy. She had herself faced enough people trying to buy her favours through gifts and luxuries. But she saw right through them. To have a close advisor actively trying to push you towards it would be a nightmare. She hoped Lexa was wise enough to filter out his advice which may end up hurting her.

Just as they started chatting, they saw Lexa approach the food stalls. She was flanked by Anya, who was tasting everything before Lexa picked it up.

“Shouldn’t you guys be doing the same for me?” Clarke teased Octavia, while Raven stared open-mouthed at the general and Nyliah was out of earshot, helping herself another serving.

“And die before you? Not a chance”, Octavia joked, shutting her other friend’s mouth - her index finger pushing Raven’s chin up.

The truth was, even the most vicious of poisons could make Clarke dizzy at most. Her mark had made her immune to the deadliest of venoms.

As Nyliah came back, she saw Lexa standing right where she was some time back, politely speaking to another person among the swarm of people approaching her. She had hardly eaten anything, clearly not getting time or space to do so.

Having been in a similar situation numerous times in Eris, she excused herself and grabbed a plate full of everything she could find, not concerned about her choice as all of it was delicious. She made her way towards Lexa who was _visibly_ relieved to see the blonde. 

“Lexa! I was wondering if I could steal you for a moment. Something important has come up”, she smiled at the Commander, throwing an apologetic smile towards the person who was conversing with her. He was clearly not pleased.

“Oh, of course Clarke”, Lexa said, without throwing a glance at the man as she let herself be pulled away by the blonde.

Clarke found Lexa’s concerned face quite adorable. 

“What happened? Is everything okay?”

“No, not quite. Do you hear that?” Clarke said, with a serious expression, facing her right ear towards Lexa.

Lexa seemed confused, and patiently waited for what Clarke was so serious about.

All of a sudden, much to her embarrassment, a grumbling sound resonated from her stomach.

Clarke seemed to have her Eureka moment. 

“Yeah. That.”, Clarke smirked as she placed the plate she had brought, in her hands, not allowing any chance of protest.

Lexa didn’t know what to make of the gesture. She felt something in her heart flutter as Clarke handed her the plate. She knew that Anya had given her a thumbs-up for all the dishes after testing them herself, so she needn’t worry about her mentor’s wrath. 

What worried her was this pretty girl standing in front of her, with her kind eyes and caring nature. Lexa wasn’t used to this. No one took _care_ of the Heda. She always took care of herself. Was Clarke observing the fact that she hadn't been able to eat?

Before another sound embarrassed her, she took a mouthful of roasted chicken and God was she hungry. They fell into comfortable silence as Lexa ate and Clarke mentally admonished herself for stealing glances as the goddess licked a few crumbs off her lips. 

She felt her heartbeat increase as Lexa caught her in her attempt to discreetly stare at her lips.

With flushed cheeks, before she looked away, she thought she saw the brunette’s gaze flicker to her own lips.

The awkwardness was broken by the commotion they heard somewhere around the stalls. A panting Gustus came into view, who immediately made his way towards Lexa.

Lexa knew something was wrong. She had never seen Gustus so...scared.

“Heda”, he bowed his head as Lexa walked towards him, leaving a concerned blonde behind.

“What happened?”

He looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“It’s… It’s Aden. He is missing.”


	18. Chapter 18

_ “It’s… It’s Aden. He is missing.” _

Lexa felt the ground slipping away beneath her feet. 

Aden was barely fifteen years old. After Lexa became the Commander, she took him under her mentorship. He was her unofficial seken, as the Heda wasn’t expected to mentor students given she already had numerous responsibilities. 

She was expected to give lessons to the nightbloods in Trikru, whenever she was free. But she had changed the system. 

Not only did she immediately repeal the torturous law under which the Conclave was fought till death, but she also self-appointed herself as one of the instructors to the nightbloods. She took lessons twice a week. Most of the clans had sent their nightbloods to Trikru to receive the official training required to become the next Heda. 

But some clans were rather possessive of their nightbloods and preferred training them in their own ways, sticking with their own clan. Lexa didn’t mind. As long as the nightbloods were happy and protected, she was content with the way things were. After all, the spirits chose well. 

The next Heda will be chosen, whoever is meant to be, whether they train in Trikru or not. Those who did choose to train under the instructors chosen by Titus in Trikru, naturally admired Lexa. 

And it went both ways. 

Lexa looked forward to training with the nightbloods. It was one of those rare moments in which Lexa could be completely carefree. She could see enormous potential in them, particularly in this fifteen year old boy, Aden. 

The boy was a natural. She could say with utmost certainty that he would be chosen next, to succeed Lexa. Like any mentor-seken relationship, Aden had become like a brother to her. He was kind, intelligent, passionate and the bravest nightblood she knew. 

She had sworn to protect all the nightbloods, and the news Gustus just relayed mocked her oath and responsibility. Since it wasn’t any other nightblood, but her own unofficial seken, it felt even more personal. 

All the lightness of the party forgotten, she immediately made way to the Polis Tower, finding a very grim Titus.

“How do you know he’s missing?”

Titus lowered his head as he said, “As you know Heda, they all report to me if they want to leave the accommodation solely meant for the nightbloods. Aden.. he..”, the flamekeeper visibly gulped with guilt as he looked into Lexa’s eyes, “he didn’t show up for the lessons. He hasn’t missed a single day but I thought he must have caught a cold or something. But when I came to check the accommodation after you left the party, he wasn’t there as well. No one saw him leave and he hasn’t told anyone anything. I sent search parties and no one has found any clue yet.”

Lexa felt her blood boil, “Cold? Don’t you know it’s next to impossible for a nightblood to be affected by something as benign as cold & cough? How could you even think that?” she hissed and started pacing around in her throne room where Titus, Anya and her bodyguards were present. 

“I am sorry Heda but..”

“Em pleni!” she commanded, and a shiver ran down the spine of everyone present in the room.

“I will not hear excuses. He is a  _ nightblood  _ Titus. Your recklessness may have killed the next Heda. The spirits will remember this,  _ flamekeepa _ ”, Lexa glared at Titus, and he could feel the change in Lexa’s voice. The flame was angry at him, and he knew better than to speak another word.

“Anya and Gustus, go to the place Aden was last spotted. I want everyone in its vicinity interrogated. Do not leave any stone unturned. If you find  _ any _ clue, or lack thereof, you report to me. Titus, send a word to all the clans. Ask them to increase security around the nightbloods. I want the number of guards to be doubled around the nightbloods under our own protection,” guilt surged as she said the last statement, “And send five new search parties. I want my best trackers involved in this. We cannot lose a nightblood.”

Titus didn’t dare meet Heda’s eyes as he left immediately to act on her orders, along with Gustus and Anya. 

Before she left, Anya looked at Lexa to silently communicate that things will be okay, but when she met the Commander's eyes, she could only nod. Lexa didn’t need a false reassurance, and Anya couldn't provide one. Without a word exchanged, she was the last one to exit.

Lexa’s thoughts ran through a thousand scenarios. 

Sure, a nightblood’s life was a dangerous one. But the threats were always on the battleground, face to face. No one had ever attacked a nightblood behind their backs, or committed any form of treason in this regard. 

Nightbloods were sacred to say the least. The grounders worshipped them, and looked up to them to lead. 

Even the most vicious of clans had the decency and honour to not involve the nightbloods in any of their diabolical plans. Even thinking of acting otherwise was considered an act of treachery against the Flame which the grounders highly revered, no matter the clan.

Moreover, everyone knew what Aden was to Lexa. Someone had either lost their mind, or was very confident in openly challenging Lexa’s authority. 

Either way, they messed up with the wrong person, and Lexa swore she will make sure the person gets the message. 

“Ryder”, she called one of her guards, who came in and dipped his head.

“Call an emergency clan meeting in two days. I want all the clan leaders as well as their representatives present.”

“Sha Heda.”

She knew that she would have to involve all the clans, as a missing nightblood concerned all grounders. She will at least need to discuss a possible solution, tell them what her plan of action is, and gaze their reactions silently. 

Something as big as this couldn’t be kept from anyone. If she didn’t trust someone in particular, it would be better to keep it a secret and see how things unfold.

“That will be all.”

As soon as Ryder left, she took a deep breath and plumped down on her throne. It was quite late and she was still wearing the same attire she had worn for the party. She couldn’t bury the guilt when she thought of the party. 

Maybe, if she hadn’t attended it, she could have sensed something was wrong. Maybe, Aden’s disappearance was carefully planned to align with her absence. 

But she knew she couldn’t have prevented it from happening even if she hadn’t gone to Costia’s place. There was no reason for her to go visit the nightbloods if she wasn’t teaching them. 

Lexa felt exhausted. She rose and started moving towards her room to get some sleep. There was nothing more she could do at present. 

If it were up to her, she would skip college and all her duties and go find Aden. But she was the Heda. She could not let any attachments or weaknesses rule her decisions. 

Her trackers were the best, and if there was a trace to be found, she was sure they would immediately locate it. 

She changed into her nightgown and laid down on the bed, and for the first time in weeks, her dreams weren’t taken over by a certain blonde.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what made me really happy? I tried searching a Clexa fic, a couple of minutes after I posted the last chapter. My story was displayed fourth on the list which was sorted according to the date updated! A couple of minutes, and there were already 3 fics posted/updated in that span!! Keep 'em coming! Cheers to the Clexa fandom!

Four days had passed since the Erisites returned from Costia’s party. Gustus had nearly whispered to Lexa when he informed her about Aden. But thanks to Clarke’s heightened sense of hearing, they got to know immediately that Aden was missing. As much as Clarke was concerned about a young boy who also happens to be a brother-like figure to Lexa, what greatly bothered the Erisites in general was that a nightblood was possibly kidnapped. 

A nightblood. They knew that the grounders held them in high regard as it was always a nightblood who became the Commander. But the general public on earth was oblivious to the extent to which the nightbloods were important to the realms beyond Earth. The fact that a nightblood had been kidnapped was a huge deal, and it was causing unrest among the Erisites. 

And their Chancellor? Well, their Chancellor was beyond frustrated. She thought a missing nightblood would finally prompt the Supreme to send a message, even if nothing extra-terrestrial was involved. Wellbeing of the nightbloods, after all, was a big part of their mission. But nooooo.

To top it all, Lexa wasn’t really helping her case. The brunette had put a halt to their evening meetups dedicated to working on their assignment. Lexa reasoned with her saying that they hardly had two questions left, which wouldn’t take much time. She had also closed herself off to everyone, busying herself with books or sparring with Anya even during lunch breaks. 

Initially, Clarke understood. Aden was very close to her and obviously the brunette needed space to figure things out, and sort out her emotions. But when the blonde tried approaching her after sometime, she shrugged her off. 

The last time Clarke tried talking to her, conveying that losing someone you love does take a toll, Lexa literally glared at her, telling her that love was weakness and she wouldn’t let it take over her actions. She curtly told the blonde that she was fine, and stormed away, leaving an _extremely_ frustrated Clarke behind. 

And here the Chancellor thought she would fish for intel on what was going on with Aden, when Lexa wasn’t even giving her a practical string of words. 

So the only way to know what was going on was through the council members. She had given them four days to gather as much information as they could, and report to her. So here she was, already in their conference room, waiting impatiently for the council members. 

She hated sitting idle. College started over a month ago and they hadn’t yet received any messages or signals. No wonder Clarke spent a lot of time in the training arena, in order to vent out. It usually worked, but the current scenario made her hands itch to do something. 

A knock brought her out of her stupor. 

“Come in.”

She was greeted by Octavia, “Hey. They are here.”

“Let them in.”

The three council members came in and took their usual seats, while Bellamy, Raven and Octavia preferred to stand. The Erisites looked at the council members, who didn’t seem like they had good news.

Luna was the first one to speak, “Chancellor”. 

“Hello everyone. Please tell us everything you know.”

Nodding, Luna continued, “Heda has sent out search parties everywhere, but none of them have found anything yet. Not the slightest trace. She summoned all the clan leaders and ambassadors and relayed the news. She has asked them to increase the security around their nightbloods. Any clan who wishes to send their nightblood to Trikru is most welcome, Heda has guaranteed security and her own protection to the ones in Trikru.”

Taking it all in, Clarke asked, “Are the Trikru-nightbloods staying at the same accommodation which was maintained by Titus?” She ignored the desire to grasp the advisor’s neck, and demand answers. 

Word spread fast. Everyone knew how the advisor didn’t immediately act when the nightblood skipped his lessons, a very unusual act.

“No. She has moved their accomodation to the Polis Tower, on the floor right below her own chambers.”

Another council member provided, “As much as I hate Titus, I don’t think he can be entirely blamed here. It was irresponsible of him to not take note of Aden’s absence during lessons, but something tells me he wouldn’t have found the boy even if he inquired at the earliest. There is no trace whatsoever that hints at Aden leaving at all.”

“Hmm. And you tell me this hasn’t ever happened before?”, Bellamy asked.

“Never. Nightbloods, as you know, are very sacred to us. Heda Lexa even stopped the unnecessary killing of nighbloods at the Conclave, putting them above the age-old traditions. What has happened is rather unusual”, a council member provided grimly.

“The annual fest is also around the corner. Heda has also increased the number of guards assigned to ensure it runs smoothly.”

“Okay, and does Lexa suspect anyone?” Clarke asked, already knowing the answer.

“Not that we know of. Even if she did, she won’t be vocal about it. Not until she gathers proof.”

“Any word from the Erisites who have been assigned various tasks?”, she asked Bellamy.

“No. No one reported anything unusual.”

“Clarke?”, Raven suddenly chimed in.

In response to the blonde’s raised eyebrows, Raven walked towards her and whispered something in her ears. They had hushed conversations for about a minute, much to Octavia’s annoyance. 

Finally, Clarke turned towards the council members and asked, “Have you met Aden?”

They seemed confused for a moment and hesitantly nodded.

“Can you describe him to me? I’d like to draw him.”

Octavia finally realised where her friends were going with this. 

“Can we ask why, Chancellor?”, Luna asked.

Clarke briefly glanced at Raven who casually shrugged her shoulders. Yeah, _why would you have any problems in pulling off something as illegal as this?_

“We, um, have this device. Raven will run the picture through it, and it’ll create this 3-D hologram, invisible to the naked eye. Copies of this hologram will be sent around in all directions, and if any face that walks the earth, fits the hologram’s features, we will have a match.”

The council looked at them with wide eyes. One of them said, “So… what you are saying is, you can find anyone who’s missing?”

“Well, technically, yes. But this can only work provided you give us a _very_ accurate picture and they are up and alive”, Raven said as she smiled sheepishly at the blonde.

The council sensed that the Erisites were acting strange with the information on this amazing piece of technology. Sensing their concerns, the blonde replied, “You see, it’s highly illegal to use it on Eris. Using such a device is considered to be a major breach of privacy.”

“But surely the Chancellor can use it?” Luna asked.

“Well, not really. I mean, I cannot simply boss around. Just because I am the Chancellor doesn’t mean I get to do whatever I want, no matter how good my intentions are. Politically speaking, our people don’t really react well to hierarchy and people giving orders.”

The council members looked incredulously at the blonde. The strongest mortal in the universe telling them she doesn’t command her people? The concept was new to them, as they always looked up to the Heda to lead them. No one went against Heda’s orders. 

“So.. these district leaders, which you said were like our clan leaders, don’t follow you?”, one of the council members asked.

Clarke didn’t know how to explain it to them without coming off as condescending to the grounders’ way of life. 

Raven, Octavia and Bellamy gave her the You-Dug-Your-Own-Grave-So-You’re-On-Your-Own look.

She took a deep breath and explained politely, “They do. Technically, I am in a position to order them and they will have to follow. But like I said, convincing them to do something via debates and discussions is preferred over passing orders without their consent.”

“And if they don’t agree?”

“Then I prefer seeking other ways to address the issue.”

Clarke had heard rumours of how Lexa kicked an ambassador out of her balcony when he disagreed with her and pestered her a little too much. 

As expected, one of the council members said rather accusingly, “You must think we are barbaric.”

Clarke was quick to reply, “Not at all. We simply have different lifestyles. Few laws on Eris, let alone other planets, will leave you flabbergasted. There was a reason I challenged the former Chancellor, Pike, to the _Troust_ ”, she had a distant gaze as she continued, “So, I cannot claim a moral high ground and judge how the grounders live, what kind of law & order, and punishments they deem fit. After all, the Erisites firmly believe in the spirits and the Flame, and we know that the spirits always mean well. The Commander knows what’s best for the people.”

The council members nodded in understanding. Clarke could hear Octavia breathing a sigh of relief. 

“Okay now”, she clapped her hands together, “Which one of you will describe Aden’s facial features?”

  
  
  
  
  


It took Clarke a couple of hours to replicate Aden’s face on paper while Luna patiently described how he looked. Meanwhile, Raven worked on her code which would be used to run a search. She hadn’t used it since Clarke became a Chancellor so she wanted to run some samples to check if it was working alright. Bellamy and Octavia couldn’t do much to help them, so they discussed further courses of action with the other two council members.

Clarke finally had a picture, and Luna was rather impressed.

“Wow. That looks exactly like him. I didn’t know you were _this_ talented”, she stated.

“Thank you, I do like to draw”, she smiled humbly as they walked towards where Raven was working. They heard her trying to explain the mechanisms of the rectangular device in front of them, to Bellamy, Octavia and the two council members. 

The Erisites looked bored, while the grounders appeared astonished. 

Neither understood what she said.

When they saw Clarke and Luna approach, Raven lit up and snatched the paper from Clarke’s hand and said, “Ah Clarkey. This should do! I have been dying to use it since _forever_!”, Raven looked at her device with tears in her eyes, using her other hand to wipe off the drops grazing her cheeks.

Octavia cleared her throat and threw an apologetic smile towards the grounders, as she turned towards her friend and hissed, “Rayes”.

With a final sob, Raven collected herself, slightly irritated with Octavia for interrupting an intimate moment. 

“Ahem. Yes, now we simply place this paper here...”, Raven lifted the transparent glass covering the screen of her device, and placed the picture on top of the screen. She then put down the glass again and typed in her codes. 

Finally, she said, “And now we wait.” The grounders watched curiously as a green light ran over the page, scanning the picture. 

“The hologram has been created. If Aden is up and alive, we’ll know in about ten minutes”, Raven said, appearing almost as much in awe with her own device as the council members were.

Everyone waited patiently as the device sent the invisible holograms around.

It started beeping after exactly 10 minutes. They didn’t need Raven to understand the results. Red bold letters shone in front of them-

“Subject Not Found”

Everyone looked at Clarke, who was still staring at the screen.

The Chancellor finally spoke, “Running it again would be useless, wouldn’t it?”

To say Raven was disheartened would be an understatement. 

If you asked any Erisite, they would unanimously agree that Raven’s demeanor had more to do with the fact that her device couldn’t be of use, than the nightblood in question.

Raven took a gloomy deep breath and replied, “Yep, pretty much. This is a hundred percent accurate. I don’t think he’s...umm”, suddenly releasing that a nightblood’s life was more important than a failed experiment, she looked towards the council members and continued, “I don’t think he’s alive.”

“What was the diameter you provided? Did it cover the entire Earth?”, Bellamy asked.

Slightly offended, Raven replied, “Yes of course. In fact, the diameter of the Earth is exactly what its range is. Even if you wanted to look for someone who’s in Polis, it will run a search throughout the planet.”

“And anyone who is on the ground gets detected”, Octavia said, more to herself.

Clearly annoyed by the Blake siblings now, Raven gave out an exasperated sigh, “Yes. Octavia. That’s probably the first line I said when I was explaining how the hologram detection works. Honestly-”

“No, I know. I just meant that… this implies that he must be buried underground”, she softly whispered as others silently came to terms with the information.

Luna looked at her fellow council members. This was a big news to the three grounders. A dead nightblood could wreak havoc, cause clan wars and seriously undermine Lexa’s role as the Heda. Before they could assess the gravity of the situation, they saw the Chancellor finally take her eyes off screen and directly stare at Octavia, her blue eyes suddenly lit with a spark which wasn’t present earlier.

“What did you just say?”

Octavia looked confused, “Umm.. that he must be buried underground?”

Realisation dawned upon the Chancellor’s face as she breathed, “No. That’s not the only possibility.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be a heavy chapter but I ended up writing fluff instead! So instead of one long chapter, here's a shorter chapter with some fluff, before we move on to a bit of angst.
> 
> I know I am a day late but Merry Christmas!

_Realisation dawned upon the Chancellor’s face as she breathed, “No. That’s not the only possibility.”_

Suddenly struck with an idea, Clarke was quick on her heels, “Connect me through Jake, ASAP.”

The Council watched as the Erisites started connecting their projectors, typing in their virtual keyboards, and following the usual routine which they had grown accustomed to. 

After some time, a familiar robotic hologram greeted them.

“Welcome to the Chancellor’s station. How may I help you?”

“Hello Greeta. This is Clarke Griffin. I need to speak with Jake Griffin immediately”, Clarke was quick to speak.

“Good evening Chancellor, I am putting your call through.”

It didn’t take more than a couple of minutes for Jake’s hologram to appear. The council watched with curiosity as the figure, whose facial features resembled the Chancellor’s, spoke, “Clarke! Greeta told me this was urgent. What’s up?”

Jake calmly listened as the Chancellor relayed the details of everything that had transpired so far. He was almost certain they had received some signal of sorts. But a nightblood had been kidnapped instead. 

To say that Jake was worried would be an understatement. But he knew that there wasn’t any point in panicking. They would do what had to be done.

“So you need me to check the traffic on Earth’s orbit?”

“Yes Dad. Please use the locators in our communications room and run the search. I need to know if a spacecraft, in fact, _anything_ , has entered or left the Earth.”

Jake need not be told twice, given the gravity of the situation. “Yes, of course Clarke. Raven, I might need your help with it.”

As if already expecting it, Raven smiled and nodded, “Whatever you need, Mr. G”.

Before Jake logged off, he could see his daughter’s friends steal nervous glances at each other.

“Listen, don’t worry. We do not know what we are dealing with, which is why you seem skittish. We are doing what we can. Let’s hope Supreme clears things up soon”, and with a polite smile directed at everyone, he signed off.

Jake’s calm demeanor helped lift the spirits of the Erisites present in the room. The council members too, seemed relatively at ease. 

“Thank you Chancellor. We will keep you updated”, with a grateful nod, the council members left the room.

Bellamy heaved a sigh and plopped down on one of the chairs, “Wow. You know, all this time I hoped Aden was alive. But if something extra terrestrial has kidnapped him, I don’t know if that’s such a good wish anymore”.

“Bell!” Octavia chastised her brother, although she knew everyone present in the room shared the same thought. 

A nightblood, in the hands of their mortal enemies, could wreak havoc. Octavia didn’t even want to imagine what an unknown enemy would do to him. She desperately needed to clear her head. As if reading her mind, Clarke asked, “Wanna spar?”

She smiled at her friend as she replied, “Always.”

* * *

A couple of days passed and things seemed to settle a bit at Polis University. Much to the Chancellor’s relief, Lexa’s mood was getting better. 

It was during the English class, the brunette approached Clarke, who was doodling in her notebook.

“Hi, mind if I sit here?” Lexa nervously motioned towards the empty seat next to her.

Clarke was struck dumb for a while. Usually, she had to mentally prepare herself before sitting next to Lexa or being in close proximity to the green-eyed marvel. 

“ _It_ _’s not a big deal.”_

_“You’re on a mission.”_

_“You need to do an assignment!”_

_“Chill. She is going to offer you the pen YOU just asked for.”_

_“You’re the Chancellor of Eris for crying out loud!”_

It wasn’t until Lexa raised an eyebrow did she finally speak, “Ye..yes of course”, she shifted in her own chair as if that would somehow provide Lexa more space to sit, which the brunette secretly adored. 

Lexa knew she was being unfair to the blonde. Clarke had been the only one to approach her to genuinely know if she was okay. Everyone knew that losing a nightblood was a big deal, as they were the ones chosen to lead. But no one, except for Anya, checked up on her. 

It’s as if no one bothered to remember the fact that Aden was her brother like figure too. Few clan leaders were quick to question the safety of the nightblood, indirectly undermining her rule. Others were concerned about increasing the safety, debating whether they should be allowed to roam about freely in the upcoming annual fest and so on. 

Few of the clan leaders who were also her classmates approached her separately to ask her if she thought _they_ were safe in college.

But Clarke, she was the first one to ask her how _she_ was doing. Lexa knew she panicked, and as a defense mechanism, was deliberately rude to the blonde, when she tried comforting her. At least that’s what Anya told her what Clarke tried to do.

_“It’s called comforting someone, Lexa.”_

_“But why would she do that to me? I don’t need comfort or assurance. Ai leik Heda._ _”_

_“You would be surprised at how often the strongest of warriors seek solace in others’ company,” and as an afterthought, her mentor added, “I swear I’ll kill the bald-head of your advisor someday.”_

So here she was, trying to understand the strange emotions this blue eyed, sun kissed princess was stirring up in her. Speaking of uncharted emotions, she thought she would start with an apology.

“I know I haven’t been fair on you Clarke”, she began as her favorite, curious blue-eyes waited for her to speak. “As you know, I have been very… preoccupied. The other day when you told me it was okay to feel...this way, because of uh..my love for Aden, I…, I don’t know why I felt the need to...”, the curiosity in Clarke’s eyes was replaced by amusement as Lexa rambled on, “What I am trying to say is”, Lexa took a deep breath and looked at anywhere but the blonde. She finally said, “I am sorry.”

Lexa didn’t expect the melodious laughter that erupted from the blonde’s mouth. Now, it was clear to the brunette that she was a novice when it came to dealing with emotions. But the way her belly reacted to the blonde’s laughter? Yes, she would definitely want to feel that more often. 

“You really don’t apologize that often, do you?”, Clarke said, wiping a tear off her eye as her laughter subsided.

“Um. No, not really”, she replied with a tinch of smile coating her lips, which was becoming a permanent phenomenon around the blonde.

“On a serious note, I forgive you”, Clarke’s heart swooned at how the brunette’s shoulders relaxed. The Chancellor even caught the tiny sigh of relief let out by the Commander. 

“Although I must let you know that there wasn’t much to forgive in the first place. I understand Lexa, he was like your brother. To top it all, I am sure the other clans haven’t made it easy for you”. 

The blonde truly meant it. In fact, she was surprised that Lexa apologised in the first place. A lot was going on in the Commander’s mind, and Clarke was just a classmate to her after all. 

If she were being honest, she didn’t mind Lexa’s behavior one bit. She was simply annoyed, and the moment the council told her what was happening, she had forgotten about it entirely. 

She found her respect for Lexa, as a person, continuously increasing.

Lexa completely relaxed at Clarke’s words. She couldn’t help but smile as she said, “Oh, you have no idea.” 

She looked towards the entrance of the classroom as their teacher appeared. The brunette bent towards the blonde and whispered, “By the way, would you want to resume studying for the assignment together?”

Clarke felt the brunette’s warm breath on her ears (which she was sure were crimson red at the moment). _Damn, what will I give to hear her whisper dirty… No. Nope. Nope. Nuh uh._

Trying to push her thoughts aside, she could only nod. She may have hummed (?) - she couldn’t tell, as she was busy calming a frantic heart and worrying about the goosebumps, so obviously on display, on the parts of her body not covered in clothes.

Lexa saw the blushing blonde gulp and nod. She didn’t miss the goosebumps on Clarke’s neck, and on the cheek facing her side. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t smug about having such an effect on the blonde.

Clarke caught Lexa’s smirk as they turned to fully face their teacher. She couldn’t help but wonder if the brunette did it on purpose. It goes without saying that she didn’t listen to a single word taught in that lecture.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I think something's wrong with me. I might be incapable of writing angst! I sat down with my laptop, determined to write down the heavy chapter as promised, but here we go! :D
> 
> Happy new year!

Lexa dismissed the meeting with the clan representatives. The annual fest was approaching, and a formal invite had to be sent to all the clans. 

From discussing the spots allotted to each clan allowing them to display their own unique customs, to making the ambassadors agree upon the kind of weapons allowed in the fighting arena, Lexa was exhausted. 

There was only so much bickering she could tolerate. As much as the fest would celebrate her ascension, she had started to think she would be better off without it.

She was followed by Anya as she retreated to her room. 

“That’s certainly a lot of enthusiasm for the fight for someone who’s constantly lost to Trikru all these years”, Anya exclaimed as she took her usual spot on the bed.

Lexa knew she was talking about Podakru (Lake Clan). Their ambassador, Naomi, was constantly arguing in favour of allowing all the weapons one can bring to the warriors’ fight to be held at the fest. 

Termed as the ‘Clash of Warriors’, this event was one of the most popular events of the fest. All the clans nominated their best warrior. These warriors fought each other in one-on-one combat. 

Usually, this combat was a fight till death, but Lexa had altered that part, much to few clans’ dismay. Naomi was the most disappointed, even though they had continuously lost all warriors to Trikru’s sword, just like Anya said.

“It seems overconfidence runs through the Podakru blood. It’s the primary reason why their warriors lose every time.”

She knew Anya smirked at the comment, even though she couldn’t see it from the way her mentor was sprawled across her bed.

“I know the Heda is not supposed to show favoritism, but don’t tell me you haven’t enjoyed the Trikru warriors beating up their asses”.

Lexa had her own smirk planted as she turned and started rummaging through her wardrobe, “No comments.”

Anya hoisted herself up on her elbows, and teased, “Another date with blondie?”

She received an eye roll from the Heda, “It’s not a date. We solve sums together.”

“Right. I have seen you with her. Honestly, I have no idea what’s keeping you from showing her stars on your bed.”

Lexa’s eyes grew comically wide at the imagery, but she quickly schooled herself. “Showing her stars? That’s the best you could come up with?”, Lexa mocked the phrase, blushing nonetheless. Thankfully she had her back turned towards her mentor.

“Don’t change the topic. If it were anyone else, the town would already be speaking of your sexcapades. Tell me you haven’t noticed how beautiful & sexy she is.”

Lexa was quick to lie, “I haven’t.”

Anya narrowed her eyes at the Heda, seeing right through it, “Hmm. Some of your classmates certainly have.”

Nyliah’s face popped in her mind as she finished buckling her belt. The girl clearly liked the blonde, and made no attempts to hide the fact. Because of her outright flirting, her interest was obvious to all. Lexa was certain she didn’t like the girl, who had done nothing, absolutely nothing to antagonize her. 

But she refused to give the reason a name. _Maybe she’s one of those people whose face makes you want to hit them. With an iron chair._

“Good for them”, she replied rather sternly as she left her room (or rather, stormed out of her room if you ask Anya) to find her way to the library.

When Lexa entered the library, she immediately spotted Clarke sitting at their usual spot. She was scribbling something on a piece of paper, probably trying to work out a sum judging by the way she scrunched her nose. 

If Anya were here, she would have seen Lexa’s heart-eyes at the very moment. But someone else was present instead.

“Heda”, she was greeted by Titus, who had an expression of annoyance written on his face.

Lexa sighed, “Titus. What are you doing here?”

“You have been devoting a lot of time to your assignment of late. I just came here to talk to the girl”, he pointed at the blonde with a disgusted expression.

“You spoke to her?” she felt her own annoyance at the advisor increase.

Completely missing out on Lexa’s change of attitude, he replied, “Yes Heda. She is from Floukru. She was home-schooled under Trisa”, his face turned even more disgusted, if that was possible. 

Lexa shut her eyes and breathed, trying to calm herself down. 

“So?” 

Titus finally caught onto Heda's mood.

“Heda, with all due respect, you must not align with such common folks. She has no aristocratic or dignified lineage. Yet she comes to the Polis Library everyday like she’s some royal..”

  
  


“Titus!”, he was immediately cut off by Lexa. “I am the one who invited her. By the way, you have taught me to be a good commander to all the citizens, yet you talk about the very same people so disgracefully.”

“I have taught you to be a good ruler Heda, not...”

“Are you saying I am not a good ruler, _Flamekeepa_?”, Lexa was clearly furious now.

Titus visibly swallowed with fear, “No, not at all Heda. I am sorry.”

“I think this conversation is over then”, Lexa declared and marched towards the blonde, who was still occupied with the sums.

Clarke sensed Lexa approach, and as soon as she lifted her head towards the figure, she was met with a vexed brunette.

“Bad day?” she asked.

Dropping her books on the table, Lexa sighed, “You could say that.”

The blonde knew that it was pointless to expect any further explanation from the Commander. She tried diverting her mind instead, “I bet Math will help you wash away your troubles”.

That seemed to lighten up the brunette’s mood, “Compared to the political discussions I face on a daily basis, believe it or not, Math has become my sole refuge, and the best way to end the day”. 

True, Math helped her break away from her real life problems and delve into the abstractness of the universe. 

But if Lexa was ever brave enough to dig deep into her heart, she would discover that it was actually the blonde who had become her refuge. 

Discussions with Clarke surpassed all the conversations she had ever had with anyone. 

They talked about everything - from social issues and development, to fecund philosophies on what it means to truly ‘exist’. 

Clarke added meaning to everything, and Lexa’s treacherous heart had started to believe that maybe, just maybe, her life encompassed more than just being the Heda of the twelve clans.

They started solving the sums together, and chatted all along. As expected, Lexa instantly felt better. Two hours passed, which none of them realised.

“Okay, so this is the last sum. We will be done with the assignment then”, Clarke looked up from her notebook, to smile at the brunette awkwardly.

“Oh, yes. Question number 20. The very last one”, Lexa nodded, still staring at the question, biting her lower lip.

“Yep. If we figure it out, we won’t have to meet every evening, and you will be free”, Clarke said with an unreadable expression in her eyes.

Lexa stared into the blonde’s eyes with an equally undecipherable expression, “Well, we are yet to solve it. Looks quite tricky”, she quickly darted her eyes across the sum and nodded with a solemn expression.

“True. Although…. what if we tried using Lagrange’s theorem instead?”, Clarke was quick to avert her eyes, and focus on the sum at hand.

They tried various techniques and discussed the sum for ten more minutes. 

When Clarke thought she had given it all, a thought finally struck and she started scribbling something. She replaced a few independent variables with the dependent ones, and voila, the equation was solved.

She looked over to where Lexa was deep in concentration. The brunette was now lightly chewing the top of her pen, her long fingers gently brushing the corner of their assignment sheet.

Clarke audibly gulped at the sight, which drew the Commander’s attention, “Clarke?”

“Huh?”

With raised eyebrows, the brunette asked, “Figure something out yet?”

Clarke looked down at her own sheet - now embellished with the answer, and then at her favourite pair of green, curious eyes. 

Glancing at her solution again, she delivered a shaky reply, “Umm. No, not really”, she exhaled, quickly crossing off her dependent variables.

Unbeknownst to the blonde, Lexa had already solved the equation days ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, right?!!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be out a while ago, but I meandered :D
> 
> So there you go, a long(ish) chapter with plot development. (Come on now, I cannot JUST write fluff, can I?)

“Incoming call : Jake Griffin”

Clarke’s IM-Device, or IMD, vibrated on her wrist, during her art lecture. She had asked everyone to IM her, Raven and Octavia in college, only in case of an emergency. Even the council only called her when she was back in the camp. And even then, they preferred using the feature only when they couldn’t be physically present to convey important information. 

Clarke didn’t want to use something in college that was banned or not invented yet on earth. True, they could be discrete. But she still didn’t want to take chances. And with Raven shrieking like an excited child whenever she invented a new code on her IMD, they had to limit its usage, especially outside their camp.

Hence, everyone was cautious. Especially Jake. Jake never called her when she was in college. He preferred using hologram calls in her office instead. 

( _“I want to appear as real as possible”_

_“It’s the same thing dad. Both create holograms.”_

_“No, I appear so tiny on your watch - thingy. You need to keep your hand at an awkward angle. How can I talk to my daughter for an hour on a watch?”_

_“Not a watch dad. It’s an IMD. And you never talk to me for an hour.”_

_“But I’d like to have the option!”_ )

So yes, Jake calling her during one of her lectures could only mean serious business. Telling her teacher that she had to go to the washroom, she quickly walked out of the class. She found a secluded corner easily, as everyone was inside the classrooms. Making sure she was well hidden beneath the heap of desks that provided excellent cover, she quickly answered her call.

Jake’s face appeared in front of her, and he did not look like he had good news.

“Hi Dad. What’s the matter?”

“Hey Clarke. I know you’re in college and I am really sorry for interrupting you during a lecture, but this is important.”

On receiving a nod from the Chancellor, he continued.

“I am calling from the communications room. According to our detectors, there was a foreign object around earth.”

Clarke gasped, “What?! Was it a spaceship? Did it land? Is it still here?” 

“We don’t know what it was, as our detectors can only tell you if there’s a foreign object in the orbit. And no, Clarke. That’s the strange part. It never landed. It simply...hovered around and vanished.”

To say that the Chancellor was astonished would be an understatement. What was this object? There hadn’t been any other spaceship around earth after...no, it wasn’t possible.

Was this the extra terrestrial sign they had been waiting for? But it didn’t happen on earth. Jake saw Clarke having a mental debate before he spoke up.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

It took a couple of seconds for Clarke to break out of her contemplation.

“What if this is a sign?”

“You know it has to happen on earth, Clarke”, he replied with a sympathetic smile.

Clarke shut her eyes in frustration.

“I am sick of waiting, Dad. I haven’t received any message from you-know-who. Nothing unusual has been spotted on earth, oh wait - a nightblood was kidnapped. But we can’t disclose our true identity since it _has_ to be extra-terrestrial. And when an unusual extra-terrestrial activity does occur, it happens _right_ above the fucking planet. Great”, she was standing now, staring at the students who had started to gather in the cafeteria. 

She let out an exasperated sigh, with hands on her waist. Jake’s hologram was dangling rather awkwardly due to such a position.

“Ahem, Clarke? Please put me back up. Viewing the world at a 90-degrees tilt is no fun.”

Clarke put her left wrist in front of her again, with a huff. Leave it to Jake to find humour in such a precarious situation. If you asked Abby, their daughter was no different than her father. In all seriousness, Clarke knew that they could either solve the task at hand, or they couldn’t. Being worried about something they couldn’t control wasn’t helping anyone. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be irritated with what felt like a waste of time.

“No wonder I don’t like these IMD watches”, Jake continued as Clarke shook her head, not even trying to correct him again, “Anyway. I know it’s a trying time for you, for all of us, kiddo. But hang in there. You have managed pretty well so far. A wise person once said, “I cannot flush my hardwork down the drain, Dad!” ” 

Clarke chuckled at her father’s failed attempt to imitate her.

“I know, I know”, she sighed as the bell rang, signalling their lunch break, “I’ll talk to you later, Dad. I’ve got to go.”

“Bye Clarke”, he signed off, not before smiling gently in order to silently convey that things will work out soon. If only it was that easy.

She took a few moments to let the news marinate. She decided to share the new development with her friends. After casually emerging out from her corner behind the desks, she made her way to the cafeteria where she knew she would find Raven and Octavia. As expected, she spotted them immediately as she entered, eating at their usual table.

“Guys, I have some news”, said Clarke as she sat down on the unoccupied chair.

“Ooo. Don’t think it’s good by the looks of it”, Octaivia slightly grimaced, too familiar with the expression on the Chancellor's face.

Clarke sighed, as she replied, “Nope. Not at all. But I think I shall … discuss it later”, she looked around as more students started to enter the cafeteria for lunch.

The trio shared a look before they started chatting. 

“Hey! Take your own pieces!”, Raven literally shielded her meal as Clarke (pseudo) tried stealing a bite from Raven’s generously decorated plate.

“Alright, alright”, Clarke smiled, making her way to get her own meal. As soon as she was satisfied with her selection, she made her way back. She was stopped by a familiar face.

“Hi Clarke”, Nyliah said, beaming at the blonde.

“Hey Nyliah!”

“Someone’s certainly got an appetite to flaunt”, Nyliah winked, looking at Clarke’s plate. The blonde was now certain that Nyliah could speak fluently in innuendos. Curiously enough, she never heard her talk in such a manner with anyone else. Nyliah was sweet, and the more she got to know the dirty-blonde haired girl, the more she found herself enjoying the woman’s company. Nyliah’s flirting didn’t escape her, but she never actively flirted back. She could be a decent friend, but she was almost certain she couldn’t have anything more than that with the girl. 

If the Chancellor really delved on it, she would find it rather surprising because Clarke was never opposed to having a no-strings-attached relationship with someone, especially with an attractive woman like Nyliah. 

_If_ she delved on it.

“Ha ha! Yes, you could say that'', Clarke tried replying platonically, but she had to give it to Nyliah- the answers to the woman’s questions self-prised hidden innuendos out by default. If the blush on Nyliah’s face was to go by, the blonde could throw away her wish to reply platonically, out of the window.

“What are you doing after lunch?”, Nyliah asked.

“Umm. I got a lecture? Don’t you?”

Nyliah chuckled, “Weren’t you present for the announcement made at the end of the previous period?”

Clarke recalled her impromptu meeting with Jake as she sheepishly replied, “No, I had to go to the washroom”.

“Oh! So the rest of the classes have been cancelled for the fest preparation. It’s only a couple of days away and Dean Indra required the classrooms for the afternoon. I remember you telling me you were out of paint. Do you want to go visit the Polis market?”, Nyliah asked cheerfully.

That cheered up Clarke as well. True, she had to speak with Raven and Octavia, and convey important news. But the students would probably roam around for a while, and not go back home, now that they had a day off. Going back to their camp would seem strange, and there wasn’t anything they could do about the mysterious object in space anyway. So she could wait until they reached the camp. 

Moreover, this was the perfect opportunity for her to buy the paint she had run out of, for her artwork to be displayed at the exhibit in honour of Lexa’s ascension. She was always swamped with attending classes, training and conducting meetings, to do anything else. 

“That sounds great!”

Before Nyliah could reply, she heard an approaching figure call her name in the way she secretly loved, “Clarke”.

The blonde didn’t have to turn back to know who it was. There was only one person, in the entire universe, who softly clicked the ‘k’ in her name. She knew she would never get tired of hearing it. Her body reacted before she could think, and she found herself smiling as she turned to greet the Commander.

“Lexa, hi!”

The blonde registered a hint of smile courting Lexa’s lips as she locked eyes with the brunette, which immediately disappeared as her gaze shifted to the person standing next to her.

“Nyliah”, the Heda acknowledged the presence of the dirty-blonde haired girl with a nod. Clarke swore she had never seen a … terser nod. 

“ _Wonder what Nyliah did to elicit such a body language_ ”, Clarke thought with furrowed brows.

Nyliah, however, didn’t seem to notice as she replied, “Hello Lexa! How are you? Will you go back home for the fest preparations, now that the classes have been cancelled?”

“ _Hmm. I must be imagining it_ ”, the blonde mentally concluded.

“I am fine, thank you. I will go back to the tower, but to train with Anya as I have some time off. As far as the fest is concerned, I have already given my instructions to few people, and they are working on it.”

“Did someone say Anya?”, Raven popped out of nowhere, her plate now half-empty, accompanied by Octavia.

Clarke exchanged a smirk with Octavia, as Lexa replied with raised eyebrows, “Umm. Yes? She’s waiting for me to get back, so that we can train together.”

“Ah! The pits are open for the public, right? That means I can come and watch?”

“Yeah, I suppose so”, Lexa replied, clearly not catching on to the internal joke shared by the trio. People wanting to watch the Heda train with her mentor was nothing new anyway, so she paid little heed.

“Awesome!! Clarke, O, you guys wanna join?”

Lexa thanked her lucky stars no one could detect the sudden increase in her heart rate.

Octavia was the first to reply, “Umm.. no, sorry. Lincoln already asked me if I wanted to go see the mascots from various clans that have started to arrive, and I said yes”. Her eyes silently pleaded with her friends to not make a huge deal out of it, especially not in front of an audience.

Raven narrowed her eyes, but showed mercy, “Um hmm. I see. What about you, Clarke?”

“Oh, I am going to the Polis market with Nyliah to buy art supplies for the exhibit.”

“Why?” 

Everyone stared at Lexa, who looked like she was herself surprised to ask such a question. Before the brunette could chastise herself for blurting her thoughts out loud, Clarke replied, “I am going to put up my painting”. 

Clarke’s discussion on love, with the brunette, was still fresh in her mind, like the very many discussions she had had with the Commander. She felt slightly disappointed at the thought that Lexa may not even remember that she was going to paint for the exhibit. She weakly added, “I ran out of supplies.”

Lexa sternly looked at an excited Nyliah, and then at Clarke. With a curt nod, she said, “I am getting late for my training, excuse me”, and walked out of the cafeteria, leaving a confused blonde behind. Busy deciphering whether or not she said something to offend the brunette, even though it was Lexa who probably forgot about _her_ painting, Clarke missed the smirk shared between Raven and Octavia.

  
  


* * *

When Lexa reached the training grounds, Anya was already engaged in combat with one of their warriors. The nightbloods had already gathered, along with Titus, who was supposed to be teaching them currently. The nightbloods seldom missed her training with Anya, and if Titus' scowl was anything to go by, she was certain that her impromptu training schedule had cost one of his lectures. 

It seemed that Anya had only informed the nightbloods, so the only person present apart from a few warriors, nightbloods and Titus, was Raven. 

Raven had absolutely no qualms in following Lexa to the training grounds. The girl thought of walking beside the Heda, but upon receiving a glare from Gustus, decided to keep a safe distance behind her instead. On the pits, however, she ignored Lexa's bodyguard, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her at the boundary. Gustus couldn't do much since Lexa signalled that it was okay. 

The brunette had grown to like Clarke's friends. True, she hadn't conversed a lot with them, but whatever little they had shared so far, had been fun. Probably because Lexa was a silent listener most of the times, while they grilled Clarke.

So when Anya approached Lexa after defeating her opponent, Raven was there to greet her. 

"Hi! Nice form there. Much better than the last time."

"I don't remember there being a last time", Anya rolled her eyes, drinking water from the container kept at a table nearby.

Lexa knew that wasn't true. She recalled how Raven showed up one morning to watch them fight. Anya was too engrossed to notice, but after they were done, Raven introduced herself to her mentor. Not wanting to pry, the brunette took off. Anya didn't mention it in front of her, but Lexa did take note of her stealing glances at the audience whenever they fought in college - a trait Anya never displayed before meeting the raven-haired girl. 

It made sense why Clarke and Octavia behaved the way they did around Raven some time back, at the cafeteria.

“Like hell you don’t”, Raven smirked, “By the way, you do realise you have an unfair advantage over others?”

Anya didn’t bother her with a reply, but her raised eyebrow indicated that she was listening. Taking the hint, Raven continued, “God literally designed your cheekbones keeping aerodynamics in mind. How else do you justify your swift movements?”

Lexa knew Raven was bluffing, and expected Anya to immediately mock her with a sarcastic reply. But when she looked at her mentor, she had to double-check to verify what she saw was correct. 

Anya, aka the fierce mentor, one of the most mighty & feared generals, the only warrior who stood a chance against the Heda - _blushed_ . Anya _never_ blushed. 

Lexa was going to enjoy this more than she thought.

Trying to cover up her red cheeks, Anya turned towards the training pit and started walking towards the center. Without looking back, she said, “And I thought you were a genius physicist.”

Lexa followed her mentor, not expecting Raven to shout back, “And I thought you didn’t remember me!”

It took Lexa every ounce of self-control to not burst into laughter.

* * *

For another hour, things went pretty smoothly. Raven decided to sit and watch, as Lexa and Anya fought. The nightbloods cheered when Lexa outsmarted her mentor, and both of them took a break. Raven smiled seeing their enthusiasm. As soon as she let her thoughts linger on the innocence of childhood, she saw something move from the corner of her eye.

Something felt off. She quickly turned her head, only to spot a man charging with his sword towards Lexa from behind. 

“Lexa, watch out!”, Raven screamed, quickly getting up on her feet. But just as she was about to draw one of her weapons, secretly stashed away in her pocket (which can literally be called an armoury), Lexa turned and ducked before she picked up her sword. 

“Wamplei kom Kongeda”, (death to the coalition) he screamed as he made a move for her head.

Lexa was quick to dodge the blade again, and blocked another attack with her sword. She deftly used her left left leg to hit the man on his knees and finally, with one swift stroke, slit his throat. The entire thing was over in a matter of seconds. 

From what the Erisites had gauged, Raven knew Lexa would hold her ground the moment she picked up a sword. Not having any time to ponder upon her decisions, she quickly shot a message to the Chancellor on her IMD:

"Assassination attempt at Lexa @ training pits."

Thankfully, as everyone jumped and ran towards the assassin as Lexa ended the man's fight, no one noticed Raven's actions in such chaos.

* * *

  
  


Clarke was on her way back to the camp when she received Raven's text. Her conversation with her Dad had been on her mind as she read the message, which brought her to a standstill.

Another attempt at hurting a nightblood, and not just any nightblood. Lexa. From the Woods clan. The Commander of grounders, the carrier of the Flame - the Heda. The second thought that crossed her mind was simply… Lexa. 

Before she could think coherently, Clarke _sprinted_. 

This was the first time Clarke sprinted openly outside her camp. But she had memorised all the ways that led to the Polis tower so it proved to be easier than she imagined her first time to be. With her speed, she was at the training pits in less than fifteen seconds. 

When she stopped, she realised she was standing just inside the arena. 

"I came as soon as I heard", she immediately made way to where a dead man lay, with Lexa, Anya and the nightbloods surrounding him. Anya was crouching low to check the man for his clan marks, but they all heard her.

Not expecting anyone, all the people gathered there collectively looked at Clarke, which made her steps freeze.

The Chancellor looked around for Raven, and found her outside the pit’s boundary with her hands on the mouth. It seemed the same thought hit both the friends simultaneously as they shared a look.

"What are you doing here?"

Of course, Titus was the one to speak.

Before she could think of a response, Lexa took a step towards her. The Commander almost whispered, as if too scared to know the answer, "Heard what?"

There they stood, the Chancellor and the Commander, their gazes locked.

Lexa couldn't decipher the expression in the blonde's eyes. They looked guilty, yet so innocent. 

She heard Anya speak from behind, "I know these marks. I have seen it only once or twice. They are given to special assassins from Azgeda".

The mentor was now on her feet, but Lexa's eyes stayed fixated on the blonde. Gustus was quick to draw his sword and place it at Clarke's throat, grabbing her hands from behind.

Lexa didn't see any signs of struggle from the blonde. Clarke still seemed like she hadn't ever been in a single fight, but the Commander decided it was time to follow her head, and not her heart. Just as it was supposed to be, all this time.

"Give me an answer, Clarke. Where were you?"

"She's with the Azgeda assassin, Heda!! This makes so much sense now. She must be arrested!", Titus roared with delight.

"Clarke?", the blonde could feel Lexa's gaze harden with each passing moment, hurt with betrayal.

But what could Clarke say? That Raven texted her, that she sprinted to cover the distance in seconds - the same distance that would take the fastest runner on Earth about an hour to cover? That she thought this was an extra-terrestrial attempt to hurt a nightblood, but it turned out to be an Azgeda assassin? Judging by the conversation she had with Jake earlier, was it really her fault to think so?

She knew Raven misjudged too, but her friend mustn't have expected her to act the way she did. After all, the blonde hadn't shared Jake's news with her. But was it the real reason? Wouldn't she have come right away, had she not known about a looming object in space?

"I..", she knew there wasn't anything that could possibly explain her situation. Anything but the truth, which she couldn't afford.

So she stayed silent instead.

Lexa saw the blonde lose a mental battle as blue eyes lowered their gaze.

"Of course you have nothing to say. We know only the Azgeda use illegal radios. I would even say that there wasn't any radio involved. You were hiding, waiting for your partner...", Titus sneered at the Azgeda assassin on the ground, "to attack, weren't you? Hoping you would get a taste of.."

"Enough, Titus."

"Heda, she.."

Lexa lifted her finger to silence him. She looked at Anya, who seemed angry but confused.

"We will have our answers”, she said, more to herself than others. After a moment of contemplation, she took in a deep breath to finally deliver a firm order.

“Arrest her.”

The Commander walked away, refusing to spare another glance at the blonde.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to know various reactions to the assassination attempt at Lexa. Clarke's in troubleeee!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been quite sometime! I got a little preoccupied. But here's another chapter!! Thank you for all your love. I am so happy to get over 11k hits! I love reading your comments, so let me know what you think?

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Octavia fumed, pacing around in Raven’s laboratory after the girl relayed the events that led to Clarke’s imprisonment earlier in the evening. 

Apart from Raven, Octavia and Bellamy, the people gathered in the room were Murphy, Miller, Maya, Jasper, Monroe and Connor. Jake and Abby fondly called them the Delinquents. All of them were a part of Clarke’s larger circle of friends, and the first ones to volunteer themselves for the mission on Earth.

“I wasn’t thinking”, Raven replied in a slightly apologetic tone, before she sat down in front of her computer as she started hitting its keys.

“So they have captured Clarke?”, Bellamy asked.

“Did you not listen to a single word I said?”, Raven replied without looking up from her screen.

Shaking her head, Octavia took a deep breath.

“You thought that it was an extra-terrestrial attempt at Lexa?”

“I...don’t know. It just happened in a matter of seconds. I just thought I should inform Clarke right away. Yes, I should have waited to check if the assassin showed any signs of being extra terrestrial. But honestly, I expected Clarke to wait, assess and think of a plan and not just … waltz in there”, she replied, momentarily taking her hands off the keyboard to make gestures in the air before she started scrolling through a series of codes on her screen.

“And you failed to take into account the _massive_ crush Clarke has on Lexa?”, Monroe asked.

“I think we have established that I wasn’t thinking”, Raven sighed.

Thanks to Raven and Octavia, everyone in the camp knew about Clarke’s crush. Hell, everyone on _Eris_ knew about Clarke’s crush. A crush that the blonde denied, upon being asked.

She continued, “And how am I supposed to take her love life into account in the middle of an assasination attempt?”

“And now they are obviously suspicious”, Bellamy provided.

“Hmm. No one other than the witnesses knew about the attempt, and even if they did, the closest structures outside the arena are the surrounding gates. The grounders take at least 5-7 minutes to run from the gates to the arena. They must think she was hiding in one of the little museums that lie in between”, Raven provided as she continued working on her computer.

“From what I have heard, Titus won’t leave any stone unturned in proving that she was somehow involved with the Azgeda assassin”, Octavia replied. After a moment, she asked, “Aren’t the museums shut during this hour?”.

“All the more reason for them to think that she tactfully orchestrated it. A closed museum is a great hiding spot”, Monty voiced what most of the Delinquents were thinking.

“Where was she anyway?”, Murphy asked.

“Her IMD shows that she was somewhere around the market. On the way to the camp.”

That earned a low whistle from Murphy, “And she made it to the Polis tower’s training grounds in 10 seconds. On any other occasion, I’d call her out for showing off”.

Octavia huffed, “If you get your lazy ass to train with us everyday you can do that on a daily basis.”

Bellamy joined in, “I swear. She’s all humble and shit especially with that mark now, but damn that girl can show off when she’s in the mood.”

After a few chuckles the room fell silent. 

“Hey Raven, they let you leave just like that?”, Maya asked.

“Well, they had no reason to suspect me. Also, I kinda saved Lexa’s life.”

“Umm what’s that about?” Octavia asked.

Raven continued working on her computer as she shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I sensed something move, and as soon as I saw the assassin attack Lexa behind her back, I shouted, which alerted her. You know the rest.”

Octavia hummed, surprised that Raven had left this piece of information out when she narrated the incident. Usually, on such occasions, her stories would _start_ with her acts of vigilance and bravery. She knew Raven felt a little guilty for acting rash, although she maintained a carefree, calm exterior. But her friend could see right through the facade. 

Octavia knew that Raven was being hard on herself, internally chastising herself for the slip. She also knew that it was better if she let her be. If Raven wanted to talk about it, she would come to her.

“Okay. So the love of her life being in danger wasn’t the only reason she sprinted”, Raven pointed to a message from Jake on screen. 

“An unidentified object?”

They read the message and watched Jake’s video explaining the situation in detail. They all silently took in the information as Clarke’s actions started to make more sense. Before they could further discuss it, Octavia spoke.

“Raven. This message was received in the morning. Why are we reading it now?”

“Umm”, Raven sheepishly looked up from the screen to find everyone staring at her.

“I thought it was another tutorial of him explaining the art of living”, Raven said, air quoting the last three words.

“Rayes!”, the group exclaimed. Everyone except Octavia who was facepalming herself.

“What? I cannot watch another 10-minute video of Jake speaking on how peace comes from within”, Raven replied with hands in the air as if what she had done was the most obvious course of action.

“Let’s focus. We need to get her out”, one of the boys called Connor spoke.

“I don’t understand why we are meeting. Clarke doesn’t need our help to get out”, Jasper said, getting up from his seat. 

Jasper was a thin, black-haired boy who never really got along with Clarke. True, he was a part of the circle but everyone beared with him just because he was Maya’s boyfriend. One of the reasons he volunteered was because Maya was a part of the group to be sent to Earth. He never actively fought with Clarke, but anyone in their vicinity could distinguish the cold vibes that emanated from him when he spoke to the blonde.

Octavia pinched the bridge of her nose as she replied, “Sure she does. How do you think she’s gonna get herself out of this situation?”

“She can just walk out? I don’t think the deadliest cages in the Universe can hold her a prisoner”, he lazily replied.

“You know she cannot escape. They think she’s Azgeda and what not. If she just breaks out it will only prove her guilty.”

“Then she can tell Lexa the truth. How long are we going to wait for a stupid sign? Moreover, this object hovering above earth - that’s got to mean something!”

“It has to happen on Earth, Murph, and you know it”, Maya politely replied, causing him to sit down on the chair again with an exasperated sigh.

“If you are done whining, I would like a moment to think in peace”, Raven threw her head back in the chair, facing the ceiling.

Octavia too needed space to think. She excused herself and made her way to the training grounds where their warriors were sparring. With Clarke absent, she knew that the camp’s responsibility fell on her. She had to make sure everything ran smoothly. No one apart from the Delinquents knew about the mishap with Clarke. From what Raven told her, it seemed like Lexa was keeping everything under wraps until she fully assessed the situation, much to Octavia’s relief. They couldn’t afford false prejudices about the Chancellor as the Erisites would need to win the grounders’ trust anyway, after they revealed themselves. They could surely do with them not thinking of Clarke as some Azgeda jerk.

Which brought her thoughts to the Heda. 

Anyone with common sense could see that Clarke and Lexa weren’t just friends anymore. Their… friendship had become way too personal, no matter how much Clarke denied it in front of the Erisites. 

Octavia didn’t know much about Lexa, whose face, according to Octavia, was almost always stoic - devoid of any emotion. But taking a glance at Clarke, when the blonde spoke to Lexa, or about Lexa, told her how wrong she was in thinking Lexa to be stoic. 

Clarke’s face visibly lit, making it quite evident that she understood the brunette like no one else did - as if each and every word that left Lexa’s mouth dripped with emotions - emotions that the Chancellor happily collected with open arms. Sometimes she looked so happy that Octavia thought her blonde friend found it difficult to contain those emotions - dribbling down from her hands as she tried to hold them. 

It was when she saw what Lexa did to Clarke, Octavia started seeing through the stoic facade. Maybe not as much as Clarke did, but enough to know that Lexa was not just the Commander, she was a human being with as many layers as Clarke herself.

Unfortunately, it seemed like it had been engrained in Lexa that she was nothing other than the fierce Heda. 

Octavia wondered what would be the best way to get their Chancellor out, without doing anything that may lead to Lexa mistrusting Clarke. Because she knew that Lexa _would_ mistrust Clarke if she ever revealed her true identity - but Clarke will easily win it back with truth. Truth did solve everything. 

“Maybe I could replace Jake when he retires from making tutorial videos”, Octavia mused internally.

She was correcting a warrior's stance as she heard Raven call her name. Turning back, she saw her friend walking towards the gate, signalling her to follow. She had to run to catch up with Raven as her friend was half jogging herself. 

“Where are we going?” Octavia asked, matching Raven’s pace.

“To save Clarke’s ass”.

  
  


* * *

Clarke was, at the moment, being held behind the bars in a small cell with no windows - her hands in chains. She was careful so as to not tug at them, which would definitely cause the chains to break. “ _If they break it won’t exactly attest the I-mean-no-harm attitude_ ”, she mused internally.

The blonde had her eyes shut, thinking of all the things she could say which wouldn’t reveal her true identity. At least that’s what she should have been contemplating on the most, but what truly occupied her thoughts was the assassin. 

Another attempt to harm a nightblood, and not just any other nightblood. Even if he wasn’t an extra-terrestrial creature, weren’t the nightbloods her responsibility? In fact, weren’t all mortals her responsibility? She was the Chancellor first, and the Chancellor-on-a-mission second. 

True, this was different from all the other quests she had been on, but was it so different that she should turn a blind eye to injustice? And attacking nightbloods, behind their back, was a crime - one of the greatest crimes if you ask her. 

Thanks to her extra-sensitive hearing abilities, she knew what was being discussed in whispers between Anya and Lexa. Had Raven not prompted Lexa at the right moment, who knows what would have happened. Clearly, there were a few things on self-defence that the Erisites could teach the grounders. Wasn’t it her responsibility, as the only being in the Universe to bear the Supreme’s mark, to make sure that all the mortals stay safe?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps approaching. The blonde could easily make out that they belonged to three pairs of legs. “ _Get out of this first”,_ she sighed internally and opened her eyes to see Lexa and Titus enter the cell, followed by Anya. 

Not surprisingly, Lexa’s eyes were devoid of any emotion, and she hated that it was because of her. Cold green eyes pierced through the Chancellor’s soul, and Clarke had to bite her tongue to keep herself from spilling her secrets just to reassure the brunette that the world wasn’t such a bad place. Because that’s what it feels like when someone betrays your trust, right? 

To her annoyance, it was Titus who spoke first.

“What was your plan?”

He sneered when greeted with silence. Calm, blue eyes were locked with green ones as if engaged in a discussion of their own. 

“Don’t worry, we have plenty of ways to make you speak. You should thank Heda for wanting to hear you out first. Now, tell us. We don’t have all night to deal with Azgeda filth.”

The blonde finally removed her gaze from harsh green eyes to speak to Titus, “I am not Azgeda.”

“Lies!!”, the advisor screeched.

Clarke remained unaffected until an equally calm, yet harsh, voice echoed, “Why were you at the arena?”

The blonde felt a shiver run down her spine at how cold Lexa sounded. It was apparent that she was being treated as any other prisoner, with all their happy, shared moments probably forgotten.

Since there wasn’t anything she could say, all she did was silently stare at the brunette.

“You were there seconds after the assassination attempt - who informed you?”

Clarke swore her silence was inviting a frostbite.

“Were you with the assassin, Clarke?”, the Commander asked a different question.

“No”, the blonde replied in a heartbeat.

“Then why were you there? How were you there?”, Lexa was now _extremely_ close to Clarke - their face inches apart. 

“I can’t tell you”, was all the Chancellor provided, refusing to back down from the staring contest they had both unknowingly entered into.

“You were just taking advantage of your so-called “group study” weren’t you? Heda showed you around, and you knew the museums around the arena were shut today. You were hiding there, weren’t you?”, Titus yelled from behind.

As if already bored of the advisor’s presence, Clarke sighed, “I don’t think you can call it a group study if only two people were involved. And no, I did not take any advantage of Le...Heda”.

“You dare mock me? You Azge..”

“Do you have any explanation that can account for how you arrived at the training arena?”, Lexa asked, not interested in her advisor’s rampage.

Clarke knew what Lexa truly meant. The Commander was giving her a chance - a chance to tell her story and prove that she’s innocent, unlike the bald-headed advisor who had already assumed that she was a part of some traitorous Azgeda gang. 

Clarke told them that she wasn’t with Azgeda. A part of her felt that Lexa believed her - that all the brunette wanted was an explanation. But somehow, she couldn’t find it in herself to lie to the brunette, especially when it concerned something as important as an attempt on Lexa’s life. 

So she withdrew information instead.

“No”, she almost whispered, marking the end of interrogation. She felt Lexa’s expression shift to something close to incredulous for a second, before it was back to icy-cold, as she turned and stormed out of the cell, the other two people close behind.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


As soon as Lexa was in her throne room, she sat down as Anya and Titus entered. She felt exhausted. Throughout the evening, she was rather numb - her mind refusing to come to terms with any of the emotions that were brewing a storm inside her chest. But after she faced the blonde, it was as if all those emotions accumulated to give rise to exhaustion. The last thing she needed was Titus - the man had made himself clear plenty of times and she could do without knowing why Titus thought that the blonde could be a secret child of Nia’s. 

“Leave us, Titus. I would like to speak with Anya.”

Thankfully, the man didn’t put up a fight and only scowled at the general before bowing his head and leaving the two warriors alone.

“You haven’t said a word.”

Anya dramatically dropped down on one of the chairs before releasing a long breath. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who was mentally exhausted.

“I don’t know what to say”, Anya replied, filing her nails with a pocket knife.

“You think she’s guilty?”

Stopping her movements, Anya looked at the dark clouds through the wide windows as she replied, “She is guilty according to me”.

Lexa felt her chest tighten at her mentor’s words, before Anya took a long pause and said, “Guilty of _what_ … I am not so sure.”

As if voicing the brunette’s thoughts, Anya continued, “She looked like she spoke the truth when she said she’s not involved in the assassination attempt. Moreover, why say that she cannot explain her situation _and_ claim innocence? One only says that they have nothing to explain when they clearly stand by the crime, and accept it. Blondie here says she isn’t an Azgeda spy, but refuses to tell us why she was there. Why not cook up some story to explain her circumstances, given that she already claimed that she was not Azgeda?”

Her mentor stood up and looked at Lexa, who clearly had a similar opinion, “We gave her a platform. We, and I don’t mean Titus, were ready to believe that she is not an Azgeda. Why not lead us to a story? Moreover, if she were involved in the incident, why appear _after_ the assassin is dead, among a group of nightbloods and your trusted people?”

Anya stopped as soon as they heard a knock.

Lexa had made it clear that she was not to be disturbed unless it was urgent. Straightening her shoulders, she commanded, “Enter.”

Gustus appeared and dipped his head in courtesy, before he spoke, “Heda. There is someone who claims that the prisoner...Clarke, is innocent. I think you might want to hear this.”

She nodded in reply, her mentor pocketing her knife as both of them faced the door. 

Lexa barely managed to school her surprised facial expression seeing a familiar figure enter.

“Indra.”

  
  
  



End file.
